Stabilization of perhydrolases

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a method for stabilization of the perhydrolase activity of the CE-7 esterase in a formulation with a carboxylic acid ester that employs the addition of a buffering agent, substantially undissolved, to the mixture of the CE-7 esterase and the carboxylic acid ester. Further, disinfectant and laundry care formulations comprising the peracids produced by the processes described herein are provided.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/102,505; 61/102,512; 61/102,514; 61/102,520; 61/102,531; and 61/102,539; each filed Oct. 3, 2008, each of which incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of enzymatic peracid synthesis and in situ enzyme catalysis. At least one peroxycarboxylic acid is produced at sufficient concentrations as to be efficacious for the disinfection or sanitization of surfaces, medical instrument sterilization, food processing equipment sterilization, and suitable for use in textile and laundry care applications such as bleaching, destaining, deodorizing, disinfection or sanitization.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Peracid compositions have been reported to be effective antimicrobial agents. Methods to clean, disinfect, and/or sanitize hard surfaces, meat products, living plant tissues, and medical devices against undesirable microbial growth have been described (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,047; U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,807; U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,307; U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,724; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0026846). Peracids have also been reported to be useful in preparing bleaching compositions for laundry detergent applications (U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,082; U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,161; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,554).

Peracids can be prepared by the chemical reaction of a carboxylic acid and hydrogen peroxide (see Organic Peroxides, Daniel Swern, ed., Vol. 1, pp 313-516; Wiley Interscience, New York, 1971). The reaction is usually catalyzed by a strong inorganic acid, such as concentrated sulfuric acid. The reaction of hydrogen peroxide with a carboxylic acid is an equilibrium reaction, and the production of peracid is favored by the use of an excess concentration of peroxide and/or carboxylic acid, or by the removal of water.

Some peracid-based disinfectants or bleaching agents are comprised of an equilibrium mixture of peracid, hydrogen peroxide, and the corresponding carboxylic acid. One disadvantage of these commercial peracid cleaning systems is that the peracid is oftentimes unstable in solution over time. One way to overcome the stability problem is to generate the peracid prior to use by combining multiple reaction components that are individually stable for extended periods of time. Preferably, the individual reaction components are easy to store, relatively safe to handle, and capable of quickly producing an efficacious concentration of peracid upon mixing.

The CE-7 family of carbohydrate esterases has recently been reported to have perhydrolase activity. These “perhydrolase” enzymes have been demonstrated to be particularly effective for producing peracids from a variety of carboxylic acid ester substrates when combined with a source of peroxygen (See WO2007/070609 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0176299 and 2008/176783 to DiCosimo et al.; each herein incorporated by reference in their entireties). Some members of the CE-7 family of carbohydrate esterases have been demonstrated to have perhydrolytic activity sufficient to produce 4000-5000 ppm peracetic acid from acetyl esters of alcohols, diols, and glycerols in 1 minute and up to 9000 ppm between 5 minutes and 30 minutes once the reaction components were mixed (DiCosimo et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0005590).

The enzymatic peracid generation system described by U.S. 2009/0005590 to DiCosimo et al. is typically based on the use of multiple reaction components that remain separated until the peracid solution is needed. Using this approach overcomes the peracid instability issues associated with storage of many peracid-based disinfectants and bleaching agents. However, specific formulations that provide long term stability of perhydrolase activity when using multicomponent formulations comprising CE-7 carbohydrate esterases remains to be addressed. Of particular concern is the long term storage stability of a CE-7 enzyme having perhydrolysis activity when stored in an organic liquid or solvent having a log P (i.e., the logarithm of the partition coefficient of a substance between octanol and water, where P equals [solute]_(octanol)/[solute]_(water)) of less than two. Several of the organic ester substrates previous described by DiCosimo et al. have log P values of less than two.

Organic liquids or solvents can be deleterious to the activity of enzymes, either when enzymes are suspended directly in organic liquids or solvents, or when miscible organic/aqueous single phase liquids or solvents are employed. Two literature publications that review the effects of organic solvents on enzyme activity and structure are: (a) C. Laane et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 30:81-87 (1987) and (b) Cowan, D. A. and Plant, A., Biocatalysis in Organic Phase Systems., Ch. 7 in Biocatalysis at Extreme Temperatures, Kelly, R. W. W. and Adams, M., eds., Amer. Chem. Soc. Symposium Series, Oxford University Press, New York, N.Y., pp 86-107 (1992). Cowan and Plant, supra, note (on page 87) that the art generally recognizes that there is little or no value in using organic solvents having a log P≦2 to stabilize intracellular enzymes in an organic phase system. Organic solvents having a log P between two and four can be used on a case-by-case basis dependent on enzyme stability, and those having a log P>4 are generally useful in organic phase systems.

Cowan and Plant, supra, further note (on page 91) that the effect of direct exposure of an enzyme dissolved in a single-phase organic-aqueous solvent depends on solvent concentration, solvent/enzyme surface group interactions, and solvent/enzyme hydration shell interactions. Because a solvent's log P value must be sufficiently low so that the solvent is fully miscible with the aqueous phase to produce a single-phase, a single-phase organic-aqueous solvent containing a low log P organic solvent usually has a negative effect on enzyme stability except in low organic solvent concentration applications. Triacetin is reported to have a log P of 0.25 (Y. M. Gunning, et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 48:395-399 (2000)), similar to that of ethanol (log P−0.26) and isopropanol (log P 0.15) (Cowan and Plant); therefore the storage of enzyme powder in triacetin would be expected to result in unacceptable loss of enzyme activity, as would the use of additional cosolvents with log P<2 (e.g., cyclohexanone, log P=0.94) (Cowan and Plant); 1,2-propanediol, log P=−1.41 (Gunning, et al.); 1,3-propanediol, log P=−1.3 (S-J. Kuo, et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 73:1427-1433 (1996); diethylene glycol butyl ether, log P=0.56 (N. Funasaki, et al., J. Phys. Chem. 88:5786-5790 (1984); triethyleneglycol, log P=−1.75 (L. Braeken, et al., ChemPhysChem 6:1606-1612 (2005)).

Thus, the problem to be solved is to formulate a product using a mixture of a peracid-generating enzyme in an organic ester substrate employed for peracid production, where the enzyme retains significant perhydrolase activity even when stored in a mixture with the carboxylic acid ester substrate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The stated problem has been solved by the discovery of a process for stabilizing the perhydrolysis activity of at least one enzyme structurally classified as a CE-7 enzyme and having perhydrolysis activity when present in a formulation with a carboxylic acid ester. More specifically, the addition of at least one buffer to a formulation comprising a carboxylic acid ester and an enzyme powder comprising the CE-7 enzyme and at least one excipient enhances the stability of the perhydrolysis activity of the CE-7 enzyme stored in the formulation.

In one aspect, a process to stabilize the perhydrolysis activity of an enzyme when present in a formulation comprised of said enzyme and a carboxylic acid ester is provided, the process comprising:

-   -   (a) providing an aqueous formulation comprising at least one         enzyme structurally classified as a CE-7 enzyme having         perhydrolysis activity, at least one excipient, and optionally         at least one surfactant;     -   (b) spray-drying the aqueous formulation of (a) to produce an         enzyme powder comprising said at least one enzyme, said at least         one oligosaccharide excipient, and optionally said at least one         surfactant; and     -   (c) combining the enzyme powder of (b) with at least one buffer         and a carboxylic acid ester to form a formulation, wherein the         addition of the at least one buffer to the formulation enhances         the stability of the perhydrolysis activity of said at least one         enzyme when stored in said formulation.

In another aspect, a formulation used as a first component in a multi-component peracid generation system is provided, said formulation comprising a mixture of:

-   -   (a) at least one carboxylic acid ester selected from the group         consisting of monoacetin, diacetin, triacetin, monopropionin,         dipropionin, tripropionin, monobutyrin, dibutyrin, tributyrin,         and mixtures thereof;     -   (b) an enzyme powder comprising a spray-dried formulation of at         least one enzyme structurally classified as a CE-7 enzyme and         having perhydrolysis activity, at least one excipient, and         optionally at least one surfactant; and     -   (c) at least one buffer; wherein said at least one buffer         enhances the stability of said at least one enzyme when present         in said formulation.

In a further aspect, a disinfectant system comprising a first component and a second component is provided, said first component comprising the formulation described above and said second component comprising a source of peroxygen in water and optionally a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer.

In an additional aspect, a process for enzymatically producing a peroxycarboxylic acid is provided comprising:

-   -   (a) providing a set of reaction components, said components         comprising:         -   (1) the formulation described above; and         -   (2) a source of peroxygen in water; and     -   (b) combining said reaction components whereby a         peroxycarboxylic acid is produced.

In another aspect, a process to disinfect or sanitize a hard surface or inanimate object using an enzymatically-produced peroxycarboxylic acid composition is provided, said process comprising:

-   -   (a) providing a set of reaction components, said components         comprising:         -   (1) the formulation described above; and         -   (2) a source of peroxygen in water;     -   (b) combining said reaction components whereby a         peroxycarboxylic acid product is produced;     -   (c) optionally diluting said peroxycarboxylic acid product; and     -   (d) contacting said hard surface or inanimate object with the         peroxycarboxylic acid produced in step (b) or step (c) whereby         said surface or said inanimate object is disinfected.

A further aspect is for a process for treating an article of clothing or a textile for bleaching, stain removal, odor reduction, sanitization or disinfection using an enzymatically-produced peroxycarboxylic acid composition, said process comprising:

-   -   (a) providing a set of reaction components, said components         comprising:         -   (1) a formulation comprising             -   (i) the formulation describe above; and             -   (ii) a carboxylic acid ester; and         -   (2) a source of peroxygen;     -   (b) combining said reaction components under suitable aqueous         reaction conditions whereby a peroxycarboxylic acid product is         formed;     -   (c) optionally diluting said peroxycarboxylic acid product; and     -   (d) contacting said article of clothing or textile fabric with         the peroxycarboxylic acid produced in step (b) or step (c);         wherein said article of clothing or textile is cleaned,         destained, deodorized, sanitized, disinfected, or a combination         thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCES

The following sequences comply with 37 C.F.R. §§1.821-1.825 (“Requirements for Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequences and/or Amino Acid Sequence Disclosures—the Sequence Rules”) and are consistent with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standard ST.25 (1998) and the sequence listing requirements of the European Patent Convention (EPC) and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Rules 5.2 and 49.5 (a-bis), and Section 208 and Annex C of the Administrative Instructions. The symbols and format used for nucleotide and amino acid sequence data comply with the rules set forth in 37 C.F.R. §1.822.

SEQ ID NO:1 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a cephalosporin C deacetylase from Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954™.

SEQ ID NO:2 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a cephalosporin C deacetylase from B. subtilis ATCC® 6633™.

SEQ ID NO:3 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a cephalosporin C deacetylase from B. licheniformis ATCC® 14580™.

SEQ ID NO:4 is the deduced amino acid sequence of an acetyl xylan esterase from B. pumilus PS213.

SEQ ID NO:5 is the deduced amino acid sequence of an acetyl xylan esterase from Clostridium thermocellum ATCC® 27405™.

SEQ ID NO:6 is the deduced amino acid sequence of an acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga neapolitana.

SEQ ID NO:7 is the deduced amino acid sequence of an acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga maritima MSB8.

SEQ ID NO:8 is the deduced amino acid sequence of an acetyl xylan esterase from Thermoanaerobacterium sp. JW/SL YS485.

SEQ ID NO:9 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a cephalosporin C deacetylase from Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911. It should be noted that the nucleic acid sequence encoding the cephalosporin C deacetylase from Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 as reported in GENBANK® Accession number ZP_(—)01168674 appears to encode a 15 amino acid N-terminal addition that is likely incorrect based on sequence alignments with other cephalosporin C deacetylases and a comparison of the reported length (340 amino acids) versus the observed length of other CAH enzymes (typically 318-325 amino acids in length; see co-owed, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,059 entitled “ENZYMATIC PERACID PRODUCTION USING A COSOLVENT”; herein incorporated by reference). As such, the deduced amino acid sequence reported herein for the cephalosporin C deacetylase sequence from Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 does not include the N-terminal 15 amino acids as reported under GENBANK® Accession number ZP_(—)01168674.

SEQ ID NO:10 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a cephalosporin C deacetylase from Bacillus halodurans C-125.

SEQ ID NO:11 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a cephalosporin C deacetylase from Bacillus clausii KSM-K16.

SEQ ID NO:12 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 29233™ cephalosporin C deacetylase (CAH).

SEQ ID NO:13 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermoanearobacterium saccharolyticum cephalosporin C deacetylase.

SEQ ID NO:14 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga lettingae acetyl xylan esterase.

SEQ ID NO:15 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga petrophila acetyl xylan esterase.

SEQ ID NO:16 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a first acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga sp. RQ2 described herein as “RQ2(a)”.

SEQ ID NO:17 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a second acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga sp. RQ2 described herein as “RQ2(b)”.

SEQ ID NO:18 is the amino acid sequence of the region encompassing amino acids residues 118 through 299 of SEQ ID NO:1.

SEQ ID NO:19 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga neapolitana acetyl xylan esterase variant from co-owned, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), where the Xaa residue at position 277 is Ala, Val, Ser, or Thr.

SEQ ID NO:20 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga maritima MSB8 acetyl xylan esterase variant from co-owned, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094, where the Xaa residue at position 277 is Ala, Val, Ser, or Thr.

SEQ ID NO:21 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga lettingae acetyl xylan esterase variant from co-owned, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094, where the Xaa residue at position 277 is Ala, Val, Ser, or Thr.

SEQ ID NO:22 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga petrophila acetyl xylan esterase variant from co-owned, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094, where the Xaa residue at position 277 is Ala, Val, Ser, or Thr.

SEQ ID NO:23 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga sp. RQ2 acetyl xylan esterase variant derived from“RQ2(a)” from co-owned, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094, where the Xaa residue at position 277 is Ala, Val, Ser, or Thr.

SEQ ID NO:24 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermotoga sp. RQ2 acetyl xylan esterase variant derived from “RQ2(b)” from co-owned, co-filed, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094, where the Xaa residue at position 278 is Ala, Val, Ser, or Thr.

SEQ ID NO:25 is the deduced amino acid sequence of a Thermoanaerobacterium sp. JW/SL YS485 acetyl xylan esterase.

SEQ ID NO:26 is the coding region of a kanamycin resistance gene (kan) from Streptomyces kanamyceticus.

SEQ ID NO:27 is plasmid pKD13, which contains the kanamycin resistance gene.

SEQ ID NO:28 is a forward primer used to clone katG from plasmid pKD13.

SEQ ID NO:29 is a reverse primer used to clone katG from plasmid pKD13.

SEQ ID NO:30 is the PCR product of the katG amplification from plasmid pKD13 using the primers of SEQ ID NO:28 and SEQ ID NO:29.

SEQ ID NO:31 is the coding region of the catalase-peroxidase gene (katG).

SEQ ID NO:32 is the deduced amino acid sequence of katG.

SEQ ID NO:33 is plasmid pKD46, which contains the λ-Red recombinase genes.

SEQ ID NO:34 is a forward primer used to confirm disruption of katG.

SEQ ID NO:35 is a reverse primer used to confirm disruption of katG.

SEQ ID NO:36 is the temperature-sensitive plasmid pCP20, which contains the FLP recombinase.

SEQ ID NO:37 is a forward primer used to clone katE from plasmid pKD13.

SEQ ID NO:38 is a reverse primer used to clone katE from plasmid pKD13.

SEQ ID NO:39 is the PCR product of the katE amplification from plasmid pKD13 using the primers of SEQ ID NO:37 and SEQ ID NO:38.

SEQ ID NO:40 is the coding region of the catalase HPII gene (katE).

SEQ ID NO:41 is the deduced amino acid sequence of katE.

SEQ ID NO:42 is a forward primer used to confirm disruption of katE.

SEQ ID NO:43 is a reverse primer used to confirm disruption of katE.

SEQ ID NO:44 is a coding region of a gene encoding acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga neapolitana as reported in GENBANK® (accession # AE000512).

SEQ ID NO:45 is a forward primer used to amplify the acetyl xylan esterase gene from Thermotoga neapolitana.

SEQ ID NO:46 is a reverse primer used to amplify the acetyl xylan esterase gene from Thermotoga neapolitana.

SEQ ID NO:47 is the PCR product of the acetyl xylan esterase amplification using the primers of SEQ ID NO:45 and SEQ ID NO:46.

SEQ ID NO:48 is a gene encoding acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 as reported in GENBANK® (accession # NP_(—)227893.1).

SEQ ID NO:49 is a forward primer used to amplify the acetyl xylan esterase gene from Thermotoga maritima.

SEQ ID NO:50 is a reverse primer used to amplify the acetyl xylan esterase gene from Thermotoga maritima.

SEQ ID NO:51 is the PCR product of the acetyl xylan esterase amplification using the primers of SEQ ID NO:49 and SEQ ID NO:50.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is a method for stabilization of the perhydrolase activity of a CE-7 esterase in a formulation with a carboxylic acid ester that employs the addition of a buffering agent, substantially undissolved, to the formulation of the CE-7 esterase and the carboxylic acid ester. Further, disinfectant formulations comprising the peracids produced by the processes described herein are provided.

In this disclosure, a number of terms and abbreviations are used. The following definitions apply unless specifically stated otherwise.

As used herein, the articles “a”, “an”, and “the” preceding an element or component of the invention are intended to be nonrestrictive regarding the number of instances (i.e., occurrences) of the element or component. Therefore “a”, “an” and “the” should be read to include one or at least one, and the singular word form of the element or component also includes the plural unless the number is obviously meant to be singular.

As used herein, the term “comprising” means the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, or components as referred to in the claims, but that it does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. The term “comprising” is intended to include embodiments encompassed by the terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”. Similarly, the term “consisting essentially of” is intended to include embodiments encompassed by the term “consisting of”.

As used herein, the term “about” modifying the quantity of an ingredient or reactant employed refers to variation in the numerical quantity that can occur, for example, through typical measuring and liquid handling procedures used for making concentrates or use solutions in the real world; through inadvertent error in these procedures; through differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of the ingredients employed to make the compositions or carry out the methods; and the like. The term “about” also encompasses amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions for a composition resulting from a particular initial mixture. Whether or not modified by the term “about”, the claims include equivalents to the quantities.

Where present, all ranges are inclusive and combinable. For example, when a range of “1 to 5” is recited, the recited range should be construed as including ranges “1 to 4”, “1 to 3”, “1-2”, “1-2 & 4-5”, “1-3 & 5”, and the like.

As used herein, the terms “substrate”, “suitable substrate”, and “carboxylic acid ester substrate” interchangeably refer specifically to:

-   -   (a) one or more esters having the structure         [X]_(m)R₅     -   wherein     -   X is an ester group of the formula R₆C(O)O;     -   R₆ is a C1 to C7 linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbyl moiety,         optionally substituted with a hydroxyl group or C1 to C4 alkoxy         group, wherein R₆ optionally comprises one or more ether         linkages where R₆ is C2 to C7;     -   R₅ is a C1 to C6 linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbyl moiety         optionally substituted with a hydroxyl group, wherein each         carbon atom in R₅ individually comprises no more than one         hydroxyl group or no more than one ester group, and wherein R₅         optionally comprises one or more ether linkages;     -   m is 1 to the number of carbon atoms in R₅,     -   said one or more esters having a solubility in water of at least         5 ppm at 25° C.; or     -   (b) one or more glycerides having the structure

-   -   wherein R₁ is a C1 to C7 straight chain or branched chain alkyl         optionally substituted with an hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy         group and R₃ and R₄ are individually H or R₁C(O); or     -   (c) one or more esters of the formula

-   -   wherein R₁ is a C1 to C7 straight chain or branched chain alkyl         optionally substituted with an hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy         group and R₂ is a C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain         alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl,         heteroaryl, (CH₂CH₂O)_(n), or (CH₂CH(CH₃)—O)_(n)H and n is 1 to         10; or     -   (d) one or more acetylated monosaccharides, acetylated         disaccharides, or acetylated polysaccharides; or     -   (e) any combination of (a) through (d).

Examples of said carboxylic acid ester substrate may include monoacetin; triacetin; monopropionin; dipropionin; tripropionin; monobutyrin; dibutyrin; tributyrin; glucose pentaacetate; xylose tetraacetate; acetylated xylan; acetylated xylan fragments; β-D-ribofuranose-1,2,3,5-tetraacetate; tri-O-acetyl-D-galactal; tri-O-acetyl-glucal; propylene glycol diacetate; ethylene glycol diacetate; monoesters or diesters of 1,2-ethanediol; 1,2-propanediol; 1,3-propanediol; 1,2-butanediol; 1,3-butanediol; 2,3-butanediol; 1,4-butanediol; 1,2-pentanediol; 2,5-pentanediol; 1,6-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol; 2,5-hexanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; or any combination thereof.

As used herein, the term “peracid” is synonymous with peroxyacid, peroxycarboxylic acid, peroxy acid, percarboxylic acid and peroxoic acid.

As used herein, the term “peracetic acid” is abbreviated as “PAA” and is synonymous with peroxyacetic acid, ethaneperoxoic acid and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 79-21-0.

As used herein, the term “monoacetin” is synonymous with glycerol monoacetate, glycerin monoacetate, and glyceryl monoacetate.

As used herein, the term “diacetin” is synonymous with glycerol diacetate; glycerin diacetate, glyceryl diacetate, and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 25395-31-7.

As used herein, the term “triacetin” is synonymous with glycerin triacetate; glycerol triacetate; glyceryl triacetate, 1,2,3-triacetoxypropane; 1,2,3-propanetriol triacetate and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 102-76-1.

As used herein, the term “monobutyrin” is synonymous with glycerol monobutyrate, glycerin monobutyrate, and glyceryl monobutyrate.

As used herein, the term “dibutyrin” is synonymous with glycerol dibutyrate and glyceryl dibutyrate.

As used herein, the term “tributyrin” is synonymous with glycerol tributyrate, 1,2,3-tributyrylglycerol, and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 60-01-5.

As used herein, the term “monopropionin” is synonymous with glycerol monopropionate, glycerin monopropionate, and glyceryl monopropionate.

As used herein, the term “dipropionin” is synonymous with glycerol dipropionate and glyceryl dipropionate.

As used herein, the term “tripropionin” is synonymous with glyceryl tripropionate, glycerol tripropionate, 1,2,3-tripropionylglycerol, and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 139-45-7.

As used herein, the term “ethyl acetate” is synonymous with acetic ether, acetoxyethane, ethyl ethanoate, acetic acid ethyl ester, ethanoic acid ethyl ester, ethyl acetic ester and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 141-78-6.

As used herein, the term “ethyl lactate” is synonymous with lactic acid ethyl ester and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 97-64-3.

As used herein, the terms “acetylated sugar” and “acetylated saccharide” refer to mono-, di- and polysaccharides comprising at least one acetyl group. Examples include, but are not limited to, glucose pentaacetate, xylose tetraacetate, acetylated xylan, acetylated xylan fragments, β-D-ribofuranose-1,2,3,5-tetraacetate, tri-O-acetyl-D-galactal, and tri-O-acetyl-glucal.

As used herein, the terms “hydrocarbyl”, “hydrocarbyl group”, and “hydrocarbyl moiety” is meant a straight chain, branched or cyclic arrangement of carbon atoms connected by single, double, or triple carbon to carbon bonds and/or by ether linkages, and substituted accordingly with hydrogen atoms. Such hydrocarbyl groups may be aliphatic and/or aromatic. Examples of hydrocarbyl groups include methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, pentyl, cyclopentyl, methylcyclopentyl, hexyl, cyclohexyl, benzyl, and phenyl. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrocarbyl moiety is a straight chain, branched or cyclic arrangement of carbon atoms connected by single carbon to carbon bonds and/or by ether linkages, and substituted accordingly with hydrogen atoms.

As used herein, the terms “monoesters” and “diesters” of 1,2-ethanediol; 1,2-propanediol; 1,3-propanediol; 1,2-butanediol; 1,3-butanediol; 2,3-butanediol; 1,4-butanediol; 1,2-pentanediol; 2,5-pentanediol; 1,6-pentanediol; 1,2-hexanediol; 2,5-hexanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; and mixtures thereof, refer to said compounds comprising at least one ester group of the formula R C(O)O, wherein R is a C1 to C7 linear hydrocarbyl moiety. In one embodiment, the carboxylic acid ester substrate is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA), ethylene glycol diacetate (EDGA), and mixtures thereof.

As used herein, the term “propylene glycol diacetate” is synonymous with 1,2-diacetoxypropane, propylene diacetate, 1,2-propanediol diacetate, and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 623-84-7.

As used herein, the term “ethylene glycol diacetate” is synonymous with 1,2-diacetoxyethane, ethylene diacetate, glycol diacetate, and all other synonyms of CAS Registry Number 111-55-7.

As used herein, the terms “suitable enzymatic reaction mixture”, “components suitable for in situ generation of a peracid”, “suitable reaction components”, and “suitable aqueous reaction mixture” refer to the materials and water in which the reactants and enzyme catalyst come into contact. The components of the suitable aqueous reaction mixture are provided herein and those skilled in the art appreciate the range of component variations suitable for this process. In one embodiment, the suitable enzymatic reaction mixture produces peracid in situ upon combining the reaction components. As such, the reaction components may be provided as a multicomponent system wherein one or more of the reaction components remains separated until use. In another embodiment, the reaction components are first combined to form an aqueous solution of peracid which is subsequently contacted with the surface to be disinfected and/or bleached. The design of systems and means for separating and combining multiple active components are known in the art and generally will depend upon the physical form of the individual reaction components. For example, multiple active fluids (liquid-liquid) systems typically use multi-chamber dispenser bottles or two-phase systems (e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0139608; U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,846; U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,634; U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,840; E.P. Patent 0807156B1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0008526; and PCT Publication No. WO 00/61713) such as found in some bleaching applications wherein the desired bleaching agent is produced upon mixing the reactive fluids. Other forms of multi-component systems used to generate peracid may include, but are not limited to, those designed for one or more solid components or combinations of solid-liquid components, such as powders (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,575), multi-layered tablets (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,639), water dissolvable packets having multiple compartments (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,995,125) and solid agglomerates that react upon the addition of water (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,888). In one embodiment, a multicomponent formulation is provided as two individual components whereby an aqueous solution comprising a peroxycarboxylic acid is generated upon combining the two components. In another embodiment, a multicomponent formulation is provided comprising:

-   -   a) a first component comprising:         -   i) an enzyme powder as disclosed herein; and         -   ii) a carboxylic acid ester, said first component optionally             comprising a further ingredient selected from the group             consisting of an inorganic or organic buffer, a corrosion             inhibitor, a wetting agent, and combinations thereof; and     -   b) a second component comprising a source of peroxygen and         water, said second component optionally comprising a hydrogen         peroxide stabilizer.

In another embodiment, the carboxylic acid ester in the first component is selected from the group consisting of monoacetin, diacetin, triacetin, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the carboxylic acid ester in the first component is an acetylated saccharide. In another embodiment, the enzyme catalyst in the first component is a particulate solid. In another embodiment, the first reaction component is a solid tablet or powder.

As used herein, the term “perhydrolysis” is defined as the reaction of a selected substrate with peroxide to form a peracid. Typically, inorganic peroxide is reacted with the selected substrate in the presence of a catalyst to produce the peracid. As used herein, the term “chemical perhydrolysis” includes perhydrolysis reactions in which a substrate (a peracid precursor) is combined with a source of hydrogen peroxide wherein peracid is formed in the absence of an enzyme catalyst.

As used herein, the term “perhydrolase activity” refers to the catalyst activity per unit mass (for example, milligram) of protein, dry cell weight, or immobilized catalyst weight.

As used herein, “one unit of enzyme activity” or “one unit of activity” or “U” is defined as the amount of perhydrolase activity required for the production of 1 μmol of peracid product per minute at a specified temperature.

As used herein, the terms “enzyme catalyst” and “perhydrolase catalyst” refer to a catalyst comprising an enzyme having perhydrolysis activity and may be in the form of a whole microbial cell, permeabilized microbial cell(s), one or more cell components of a microbial cell extract, partially purified enzyme, or purified enzyme. The enzyme catalyst may also be chemically modified (e.g., by pegylation or by reaction with cross-linking reagents). The perhydrolase catalyst may also be immobilized on a soluble or insoluble support using methods well-known to those skilled in the art; see for example, Immobilization of Enzymes and Cells; Gordon F. Bickerstaff, Editor; Humana Press, Totowa, N.J., USA; 1997. As described herein, all of the present enzymes having perhydrolysis activity are structurally members of the carbohydrate family esterase family 7 (CE-7 family) of enzymes (see Coutinho, P. M., Henrissat, B. “Carbohydrate-active enzymes: an integrated database approach” in Recent Advances in Carbohydrate Bioengineering, H. J. Gilbert, G. Davies, B. Henrissat and B. Svensson eds., (1999) The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, pp. 3-12.). The CE-7 family of enzymes has been demonstrated to be particularly effective for producing peracids from a variety of carboxylic acid ester substrates when combined with a source of peroxygen (See PCT publication No. WO2007/070609 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0176299, 2008/176783, and 2009/0005590 to DiCosimo et al.; each herein incorporated by reference in their entireties).

Members of the CE-7 family include cephalosporin C deacetylases (CAHs; E.C. 3.1.1.41) and acetyl xylan esterases (AXEs; E.C. 3.1.1.72). Members of the CE-7 esterase family share a conserved signature motif (Vincent et al., J. Mol. Biol., 330:593-606 (2003)). Perhydrolases comprising the CE-7 signature motif and/or a substantially similar structure are suitable for use in the present invention. Means to identify substantially similar biological molecules are well known in the art (e.g., sequence alignment protocols, nucleic acid hybridizations, and/or the presence of a conserved signature motif). In one aspect, the present perhydrolases include enzymes comprising the CE-7 signature motif and at least 30%, preferably at least 33%, more preferably at least 40%, even more preferably at least 42%, even more preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 60%, even more preferably at least 70%, even more preferably at least 80%, even more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% amino acid identity to the sequences provided herein. In a further aspect, the present perhydrolases include enzymes comprising the CE-7 signature motif and at least 30%, preferably at least 33%, more preferably at least 40%, even more preferably at least 42%, even more preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 60%, even more preferably at least 70%, even more preferably at least 80%, even more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% amino acid identity to SEQ ID NO: 1.

As used herein, the term “enzyme powder” refers to the spray-dried product of an aqueous formulation comprising (1) at least one enzyme structurally classified as a CE-7 carbohydrate esterase that has perhydrolysis activity, (2) at least one oligosaccharide excipient, and optionally at least one surfactant. In some embodiments, the at least one oligosaccharide excipient has a number average molecular weight of at least about 1250 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about 9000.

As used herein, the terms “cephalosporin C deacetylase” and “cephalosporin C acetyl hydrolase” refer to an enzyme (E.C. 3.1.1.41) that catalyzes the deacetylation of cephalosporins such as cephalosporin C and 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (Mitsushima et al., (1995) Appl. Env. Microbiol. 61(6):2224-2229). Several cephalosporin C deacetylases are provided herein having significant perhydrolysis activity.

As used herein, “acetyl xylan esterases” refers to an enzyme (E.C. 3.1.1.72; AXEs) that catalyzes the deacetylation of acetylated xylans and other acetylated saccharides. As illustrated herein, several enzymes classified as acetyl xylan esterases are provided having significant perhydrolysis activity.

As used herein, the term “Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954™” refers to a bacterial cell deposited to the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC®) having international depository accession number ATCC® 31954™. Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954™ has been reported to have an ester hydrolase (“diacetinase”) activity capable of hydrolyzing glycerol esters having 2 to 8 carbon acyl groups, especially diacetin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,886; herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). As described herein, an enzyme having significant perhydrolase activity has been isolated from B. subtilis ATCC® 31954™ and is provided as SEQ ID NO:1. The amino acid sequence of the isolated enzyme has 100% amino acid identity to the cephalosporin C deacetylase provided by GENBANK® Accession No. BAA01729.1 (Mitsushima et al., supra).

As used herein, the term “Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 29233™” refers to a strain of Bacillus subtilis deposited to the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC®) having international depository accession number ATCC® 29233™. As described herein, an enzyme having significant perhydrolase activity has been isolated and sequenced from B. subtilis ATCC® 29233™ and is provided as SEQ ID NO:12.

As used herein, the term “Clostridium thermocellum ATCC® 27405™” refers to a strain of Clostridium thermocellum deposited to the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC®) having international depository accession number ATCC® 27405™. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from C. thermocellum ATCC® 27405™ is provided as SEQ ID NO:5.

As used herein, the term “Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 6633™” refers to a bacterial cell deposited to the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC®) having international depository accession number ATCC® 6633™. Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 6633™ has been reported to have cephalosporin acetylhydrolase activity (U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,233). The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from B. subtilis ATCC® 6633™ is provided as SEQ ID NO:2.

As used herein, the term “Bacillus licheniformis ATCC® 14580™” refers to a bacterial cell deposited to the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC®) having international depository accession number ATCC® 14580™. Bacillus licheniformis ATCC® 14580™ has been reported to have cephalosporin acetylhydrolase activity. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from B. licheniformis ATCC® 14580™ is provided as SEQ ID NO:3.

As used herein, the term “Bacillus pumilus PS213” refers to a bacterial cell reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK® AJ249957). The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Bacillus pumilus PS213 is provided as SEQ ID NO:4.

As used herein, the term “Thermotoga neapolitana” refers to a strain of Thermotoga neapolitana reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK® AAB70869). The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Thermotoga neapolitana is provided as SEQ ID NO: 6.

As used herein, the term “Thermotoga maritima MSB8” refers to a bacterial cell reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK® NP_(—)227893.1). The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 is provided as SEQ ID NO: 7.

As used herein, the term “Bacillus clausii KSM-K16” refers to a bacterial cell reported to have cephalosporin-C deacetylase activity (GENBANK®YP_(—)175265). The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Bacillus clausii KSM-K16 is provided as SEQ ID NO: 11.

As used herein, the term “Thermoanearobacterium saccharolyticum” refers to a bacterial strain reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK® S41858). The amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Thermoanearobacterium saccharolyticum is provided as SEQ ID NO: 13.

As used herein, the term “Thermotoga lettingae” refers to a bacterial cell reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK®CP000812). The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Thermotoga lettingae is provided as SEQ ID NO: 14.

As used herein, the term “Thermotoga petrophila” refers to a bacterial cell reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK® CP000702). The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme having perhydrolase activity from Thermotoga lettingae is provided as SEQ ID NO: 15.

As used herein, the term “Thermotoga sp. RQ2” refers to a bacterial cell reported to have acetyl xylan esterase activity (GENBANK® CP000969). Two different acetyl xylan esterases have been identified from Thermotoga sp. RQ2 and are referred to herein as “RQ2(a)” (the deduced amino acid sequence provided as SEQ ID NO: 16) and “RQ2(b)” (the deduced amino acid sequence provided as SEQ ID NO: 17).

As used herein, an “isolated nucleic acid molecule” and “isolated nucleic acid fragment” will be used interchangeably and refer to a polymer of RNA or DNA that is single- or double-stranded, optionally containing synthetic, non-natural or altered nucleotide bases. An isolated nucleic acid molecule in the form of a polymer of DNA may be comprised of one or more segments of cDNA, genomic DNA or synthetic DNA.

The term “amino acid” refers to the basic chemical structural unit of a protein or polypeptide. The following abbreviations are used herein to identify specific amino acids:

Three-Letter One-Letter Amino Acid Abbreviation Abbreviation Alanine Ala A Arginine Arg R Asparagine Asn N Aspartic acid Asp D Cysteine Cys C Glutamine Gln Q Glutamic acid Glu E Glycine Gly G Histidine His H Isoleucine Ile I Leucine Leu L Lysine Lys K Methionine Met M Phenylalanine Phe F Proline Pro P Serine Ser S Threonine Thr T Tryptophan Trp W Tyrosine Tyr Y Valine Val V Any amino acid or as defined herein Xaa X

As used herein, “substantially similar” refers to nucleic acid molecules wherein changes in one or more nucleotide bases results in the addition, substitution, or deletion of one or more amino acids, but does not affect the functional properties (i.e., perhydrolytic activity) of the protein encoded by the DNA sequence. As used herein, “substantially similar” also refers to an enzyme having an amino acid sequence that is at least 30%, preferably at least 33%, more preferably at least 40%, more preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 60%, even more preferably at least 70%, even more preferably at least 80%, yet even more preferably at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identical to the sequences reported herein wherein the resulting enzyme retains the present functional properties (i.e., perhydrolytic activity). “Substantially similar” may also refer to an enzyme having perhydrolytic activity encoded by nucleic acid molecules that hybridize under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecules reported herein. It is therefore understood that the invention encompasses more than the specific exemplary sequences.

For example, it is well known in the art that alterations in a gene which result in the production of a chemically equivalent amino acid at a given site, but do not affect the functional properties of the encoded protein are common. For the purposes of the present invention substitutions are defined as exchanges within one of the following five groups:

-   -   1. Small aliphatic, nonpolar or slightly polar residues: Ala,         Ser, Thr (Pro, Gly);     -   2. Polar, negatively charged residues and their amides: Asp,         Asn, Glu, Gln;     -   3. Polar, positively charged residues: H is, Arg, Lys;     -   4. Large aliphatic, nonpolar residues: Met, Leu, Ile, Val (Cys);         and     -   5. Large aromatic residues: Phe, Tyr, and Trp.         Thus, a codon for the amino acid alanine, a hydrophobic amino         acid, may be substituted by a codon encoding another less         hydrophobic residue (such as glycine) or a more hydrophobic         residue (such as valine, leucine, or isoleucine). Similarly,         changes which result in substitution of one negatively charged         residue for another (such as aspartic acid for glutamic acid) or         one positively charged residue for another (such as lysine for         arginine) can also be expected to produce a functionally         equivalent product. In many cases, nucleotide changes which         result in alteration of the N-terminal and C-terminal portions         of the protein molecule would also not be expected to alter the         activity of the protein.

Each of the proposed modifications is well within the routine skill in the art, as is determination of retention of biological activity of the encoded products. Moreover, the skilled artisan recognizes that substantially similar sequences are encompassed by the present invention. In one embodiment, substantially similar sequences are defined by their ability to hybridize, under stringent conditions (0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, 65° C. and washed with 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS followed by 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, 65° C.) with the sequences exemplified herein.

As used herein, a nucleic acid molecule is “hybridizable” to another nucleic acid molecule, such as a cDNA, genomic DNA, or RNA, when a single strand of the first molecule can anneal to the other molecule under appropriate conditions of temperature and solution ionic strength. Hybridization and washing conditions are well known and exemplified in Sambrook, J. and Russell, D., T. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Third Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor (2001). The conditions of temperature and ionic strength determine the “stringency” of the hybridization. Stringency conditions can be adjusted to screen for moderately similar molecules, such as homologous sequences from distantly related organisms, to highly similar molecules, such as genes that duplicate functional enzymes from closely related organisms. Post-hybridization washes typically determine stringency conditions. One set of preferred conditions uses a series of washes starting with 6×SSC, 0.5% SDS at room temperature for 15 min, then repeated with 2×SSC, 0.5% SDS at 45° C. for 30 min, and then repeated twice with 0.2×SSC, 0.5% SDS at 50° C. for 30 min. A more preferred set of conditions uses higher temperatures in which the washes are identical to those above except for the temperature of the final two 30 min washes in 0.2×SSC, 0.5% SDS was increased to 60° C. Another preferred set of stringent hybridization conditions is 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, 65° C. and washed with 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS followed by a final wash of 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, 65° C. with the sequences exemplified herein. In a further embodiment, the present compositions and methods employ an enzyme having perhydrolase activity encoded by isolated nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having perhydrolysis activity, said polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3; SEQ ID NO: 4; SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 13; SEQ ID NO: 14; SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 17, SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, SEQ ID NO: 21, SEQ ID NO: 22, SEQ ID NO: 23, SEQ ID NO: 24, and SEQ ID NO: 25.

Hybridization requires that the two nucleic acids contain complementary sequences, although depending on the stringency of the hybridization, mismatches between bases are possible. The appropriate stringency for hybridizing nucleic acids depends on the length of the nucleic acids and the degree of complementation, variables well known in the art. The greater the degree of similarity or homology between two nucleotide sequences, the greater the value of Tm for hybrids of nucleic acids having those sequences. The relative stability (corresponding to higher Tm) of nucleic acid hybridizations decreases in the following order: RNA:RNA, DNA:RNA, DNA:DNA. For hybrids of greater than 100 nucleotides in length, equations for calculating Tm have been derived (Sambrook and Russell, supra). For hybridizations with shorter nucleic acids, i.e., oligonucleotides, the position of mismatches becomes more important, and the length of the oligonucleotide determines its specificity (Sambrook and Russell, supra). In one aspect, the length for a hybridizable nucleic acid is at least about 10 nucleotides. Preferably, a minimum length for a hybridizable nucleic acid is at least about 15 nucleotides in length, more preferably at least about 20 nucleotides in length, even more preferably at least 30 nucleotides in length, even more preferably at least 300 nucleotides in length, and most preferably at least 800 nucleotides in length. Furthermore, the skilled artisan will recognize that the temperature and wash solution salt concentration may be adjusted as necessary according to factors such as length of the probe.

As used herein, the term “percent identity” is a relationship between two or more polypeptide sequences or two or more polynucleotide sequences, as determined by comparing the sequences. In the art, “identity” also means the degree of sequence relatedness between polypeptide or polynucleotide sequences, as the case may be, as determined by the match between strings of such sequences. “Identity” and “similarity” can be readily calculated by known methods, including but not limited to, methods described in: Computational Molecular Biology (Lesk, A. M., ed.) Oxford University Press, NY (1988); Biocomputing: Informatics and Genome Projects (Smith, D. W., ed.) Academic Press, NY (1993); Computer Analysis of Sequence Data, Part I (Griffin, A. M., and Griffin, H. G., eds.) Humana Press, NJ (1994); Sequence Analysis in Molecular Biology (von Heinje, G., ed.) Academic Press (1987); and Sequence Analysis Primer (Gribskov, M. and Devereux, J., eds.) Stockton Press, NY (1991). Methods to determine identity and similarity are codified in publicly available computer programs. Sequence alignments and percent identity calculations may be performed using the Megalign program of the LASERGENE bioinformatics computing suite (DNASTAR Inc., Madison, Wis.), the AlignX program of Vector NTI v. 7.0 (Informax, Inc., Bethesda, Md.), or the EMBOSS Open Software Suite (EMBL-EBI; Rice et al., Trends in Genetics 16, (6):276-277 (2000)). Multiple alignment of the sequences can be performed using the Clustal method (e.g., CLUSTALW; for example version 1.83) of alignment (Higgins and Sharp, CABIOS, 5:151-153 (1989); Higgins et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 22:4673-4680 (1994); and Chenna et al., Nucleic Acids Res 31 (13):3497-500 (2003)), available from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory via the European Bioinformatics Institute) with the default parameters. Suitable parameters for CLUSTALW protein alignments include GAP Existence penalty=15, GAP extension=0.2, matrix=Gonnet (e.g. Gonnet250), protein ENDGAP=−1, Protein GAPDIST=4, and KTUPLE=1. In one embodiment, a fast or slow alignment is used with the default settings where a slow alignment is preferred. Alternatively, the parameters using the CLUSTALW method (version 1.83) may be modified to also use KTUPLE=1, GAP PENALTY=10, GAP extension=1, matrix=BLOSUM (e.g. BLOSUM64), WINDOW=5, and TOP DIAGONALS SAVED=5.

In one aspect, suitable isolated nucleic acid molecules encode a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence that is at least about 30%, preferably at least 33%, preferably at least 40%, preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, more preferably at least 70%, more preferably at least 80%, even more preferably at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identical to the amino acid sequences reported herein. Suitable nucleic acid molecules not only have the above homologies, but also typically encode a polypeptide having about 300 to about 340 amino acids, more preferably about 310 to about 330 amino acids, and most preferably about 318 amino acids.

As used herein, the terms “signature motif”, “CE-7 signature motif”, and “diagnostic motif” refer to conserved structures shared among a family of enzymes having a defined activity. The signature motif can be used to define and/or identify the family of structurally related enzymes having similar enzymatic activity for a defined family of substrates. The signature motif can be a single contiguous amino acid sequence or a collection of discontiguous, conserved motifs that together form the signature motif. Typically, the conserved motif(s) is represented by an amino acid sequence. As described herein, the present enzymes having perhydrolysis activity (“perhydrolases”) belong to the family of CE-7 carbohydrate esterases (DiCosimo et al., supra). As used herein, the phrase “enzyme is structurally classified as a CE-7 enzyme” or “CE-7 perhydrolase” will be used to refer to enzymes having perhydrolysis activity which are structurally classified as a CE-7 carbohydrate esterase. This family of enzymes can be defined by the presence of a signature motif (Vincent et al., supra). As defined herein, the signature motif for CE-7 esterases comprises three conserved motifs (residue position numbering relative to reference sequence SEQ ID NO:1):

a) Arg118-Gly119-Gln120; b) Gly179-Xaa180-Ser181-Gln182-Gly183; and c) His298-Glu299. Typically, the Xaa at amino acid residue position 180 is glycine, alanine, proline, tryptophan, or threonine. Two of the three amino acid residues belonging to the catalytic triad are in bold. In one embodiment, the Xaa at amino acid residue position 180 is selected from the group consisting of glycine, alanine, proline, tryptophan, and threonine.

Further analysis of the conserved motifs within the CE-7 carbohydrate esterase family indicates the presence of an additional conserved motif (LXD at amino acid positions 267-269 of SEQ ID NO:1) that may be used to further define a perhydrolase belonging to the CE-7 carbohydrate esterase family. In a further embodiment, the signature motif defined above includes a fourth conserved motif defined as:

Leu267-Xaa268-Asp269.

The Xaa at amino acid residue position 268 is typically isoleucine, valine, or methionine. The fourth motif includes the aspartic acid residue (bold) belonging to the catalytic triad (Ser181-Asp269-His298).

A number of well-known global alignment algorithms may be used to align two or more amino acid sequences representing enzymes having perhydrolase activity to determine if the enzyme is comprised of the present signature motif. The aligned sequence(s) are compared to the reference sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) to determine the existence of the signature motif. In one embodiment, a CLUSTAL alignment (such as CLUSTALW) using a reference amino acid sequence (as used herein the perhydrolase sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) from the Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954™) is used to identify perhydrolases belonging to the CE-7 esterase family. The relative numbering of the conserved amino acid residues is based on the residue numbering of the reference amino acid sequence to account for small insertions or deletions (for example, five amino acids of less) within the aligned sequence.

Examples of other suitable algorithms that may be used to identify sequences comprising the present signature motif (when compared to the reference sequence) include, but are not limited to, Needleman and Wunsch (J. Mol. Biol. 48, 443-453 (1970); a global alignment tool) and Smith-Waterman (J. Mol. Biol. 147:195-197 (1981); a local alignment tool). In one embodiment, a Smith-Waterman alignment is implemented using default parameters. An example of suitable default parameters include the use of a BLOSUM62 scoring matrix with GAP open penalty=10 and a GAP extension penalty=0.5.

A comparison of the overall percent identity among perhydrolases exemplified herein indicates that enzymes having as little as 33% identity to SEQ ID NO:1 (while retaining the signature motif) exhibit significant perhydrolase activity and are structurally classified as CE-7 carbohydrate esterases. In one embodiment, suitable perhydrolases include enzymes comprising the CE-7 signature motif and at least 30%, preferably at least 33%, more preferably at least 40%, even more preferably at least 42%, even more preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 60%, even more preferably at least 70%, even more preferably at least 80%, even more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% amino acid identity to SEQ ID NO: 1.

Alternatively, a contiguous amino acid sequence comprising the region encompassing the conserved motifs may also be used to identify CE-7 family members.

As used herein, “codon degeneracy” refers to the nature of the genetic code permitting variation of the nucleotide sequence without affecting the amino acid sequence of an encoded polypeptide. Accordingly, the present invention relates to any nucleic acid molecule that encodes all or a substantial portion of the amino acid sequences encoding the present microbial polypeptide. The skilled artisan is well aware of the “codon-bias” exhibited by a specific host cell in usage of nucleotide codons to specify a given amino acid. Therefore, when synthesizing a gene for improved expression in a host cell, it is desirable to design the gene such that its frequency of codon usage approaches the frequency of preferred codon usage of the host cell.

As used herein, the term “codon optimized”, as it refers to genes or coding regions of nucleic acid molecules for transformation of various hosts, refers to the alteration of codons in the gene or coding regions of the nucleic acid molecules to reflect the typical codon usage of the host organism without altering the polypeptide for which the DNA codes.

As used herein, “synthetic genes” can be assembled from oligonucleotide building blocks that are chemically synthesized using procedures known to those skilled in the art. These building blocks are ligated and annealed to form gene segments that are then enzymatically assembled to construct the entire gene. “Chemically synthesized”, as pertaining to a DNA sequence, means that the component nucleotides were assembled in vitro. Manual chemical synthesis of DNA may be accomplished using well-established procedures, or automated chemical synthesis can be performed using one of a number of commercially available machines. Accordingly, the genes can be tailored for optimal gene expression based on optimization of nucleotide sequences to reflect the codon bias of the host cell. The skilled artisan appreciates the likelihood of successful gene expression if codon usage is biased towards those codons favored by the host. Determination of preferred codons can be based on a survey of genes derived from the host cell where sequence information is available.

As used herein, “gene” refers to a nucleic acid molecule that expresses a specific protein, including regulatory sequences preceding (5′ non-coding sequences) and following (3′ non-coding sequences) the coding sequence. “Native gene” refers to a gene as found in nature with its own regulatory sequences. “Chimeric gene” refers to any gene that is not a native gene, comprising regulatory and coding sequences that are not found together in nature. Accordingly, a chimeric gene may comprise regulatory sequences and coding sequences that are derived from different sources, or regulatory sequences and coding sequences derived from the same source, but arranged in a manner different from that found in nature. “Endogenous gene” refers to a native gene in its natural location in the genome of an organism. A “foreign” gene refers to a gene not normally found in the host organism, but that is introduced into the host organism by gene transfer. Foreign genes can comprise native genes inserted into a non-native organism, or chimeric genes. A “transgene” is a gene that has been introduced into the genome by a transformation procedure.

As used herein, “coding sequence” refers to a DNA sequence that codes for a specific amino acid sequence. “Suitable regulatory sequences” refer to nucleotide sequences located upstream (5′ non-coding sequences), within, or downstream (3′ non-coding sequences) of a coding sequence, and which influence the transcription, RNA processing or stability, or translation of the associated coding sequence. Regulatory sequences may include promoters, translation leader sequences, RNA processing site, effector binding site and stem-loop structure.

As used herein, “promoter” refers to a DNA sequence capable of controlling the expression of a coding sequence or functional RNA. In general, a coding sequence is located 3′ to a promoter sequence. Promoters may be derived in their entirety from a native gene, or be composed of different elements derived from different promoters found in nature, or even comprise synthetic DNA segments. It is understood by those skilled in the art that different promoters may direct the expression of a gene at different stages of development, or in response to different environmental or physiological conditions. Promoters that cause a gene to be expressed at most times are commonly referred to as “constitutive promoters”. It is further recognized that since in most cases the exact boundaries of regulatory sequences have not been completely defined, DNA fragments of different lengths may have identical promoter activity.

As used herein, the “3′ non-coding sequences” refer to DNA sequences located downstream of a coding sequence and include polyadenylation recognition sequences (normally limited to eukaryotes) and other sequences encoding regulatory signals capable of affecting mRNA processing or gene expression. The polyadenylation signal is usually characterized by affecting the addition of polyadenylic acid tracts (normally limited to eukaryotes) to the 3′ end of the mRNA precursor.

As used herein, the term “operably linked” refers to the association of nucleic acid sequences on a single nucleic acid molecule so that the function of one is affected by the other. For example, a promoter is operably linked with a coding sequence when it is capable of affecting the expression of that coding sequence, i.e., that the coding sequence is under the transcriptional control of the promoter. Coding sequences can be operably linked to regulatory sequences in sense or antisense orientation.

As used herein, the term “expression” refers to the transcription and stable accumulation of sense (mRNA) or antisense RNA derived from the nucleic acid molecule of the invention. Expression may also refer to translation of mRNA into a polypeptide.

As used herein, “transformation” refers to the transfer of a nucleic acid molecule into the genome of a host organism, resulting in genetically stable inheritance. In the present invention, the host cell's genome includes chromosomal and extrachromosomal (e.g. plasmid) genes. Host organisms containing the transformed nucleic acid molecules are referred to as “transgenic” or “recombinant” or “transformed” organisms.

As used herein, the terms “plasmid”, “vector” and “cassette” refer to an extrachromosomal element often carrying genes which are not part of the central metabolism of the cell, and usually in the form of circular double-stranded DNA molecules. Such elements may be autonomously replicating sequences, genome integrating sequences, phage or nucleotide sequences, linear or circular, of a single- or double-stranded DNA or RNA, derived from any source, in which a number of nucleotide sequences have been joined or recombined into a unique construction which is capable of introducing a promoter fragment and DNA sequence for a selected gene product along with appropriate 3′ untranslated sequence into a cell. “Transformation cassette” refers to a specific vector containing a foreign gene and having elements in addition to the foreign gene that facilitate transformation of a particular host cell. “Expression cassette” refers to a specific vector containing a foreign gene and having elements in addition to the foreign gene that allow for enhanced expression of that gene in a foreign host.

As used herein, the term “sequence analysis software” refers to any computer algorithm or software program that is useful for the analysis of nucleotide or amino acid sequences. “Sequence analysis software” may be commercially available or independently developed. Typical sequence analysis software will include, but is not limited to, the GCG suite of programs (Wisconsin Package Version 9.0, Genetics Computer Group (GCG), Madison, Wis.), BLASTP, BLASTN, BLASTX (Altschul et al., J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-410 (1990), and DNASTAR (DNASTAR, Inc. 1228 S. Park St. Madison, Wis. 53715 USA), CLUSTALW (for example, version 1.83; Thompson et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 22(22):4673-4680 (1994), and the FASTA program incorporating the Smith-Waterman algorithm (W. R. Pearson, Comput. Methods Genome Res., [Proc. Int. Symp.] (1994), Meeting Date 1992, 111-20. Editor(s): Suhai, Sandor. Publisher: Plenum, New York, N.Y.), Vector NTI (Informax, Bethesda, Md.) and Sequencher v. 4.05. Within the context of this application it will be understood that where sequence analysis software is used for analysis, that the results of the analysis will be based on the “default values” of the program referenced, unless otherwise specified. As used herein “default values” will mean any set of values or parameters set by the software manufacturer that originally load with the software when first initialized.

As used herein, the term “biological contaminants” refers to one or more unwanted and/or pathogenic biological entities including, but not limited to, microorganisms, spores, viruses, prions, and mixtures thereof. The process produces an efficacious concentration of at least one percarboxylic acid useful to reduce and/or eliminate the presence of the viable biological contaminants. In a preferred embodiment, the biological contaminant is a viable pathogenic microorganism.

As used herein, the term “disinfect” refers to the process of destruction of or prevention of the growth of biological contaminants. As used herein, the term “disinfectant” refers to an agent that disinfects by destroying, neutralizing, or inhibiting the growth of biological contaminants. Typically, disinfectants are used to treat inanimate objects or surfaces. As used herein, the term “disinfection” refers to the act or process of disinfecting. As used herein, the term “antiseptic” refers to a chemical agent that inhibits the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms. In one aspect, the biological contaminants are pathogenic microorganisms.

As used herein, the term “sanitary” means of or relating to the restoration or preservation of health, typically by removing, preventing or controlling an agent that may be injurious to health. As used herein, the term “sanitize” means to make sanitary. As used herein, the term “sanitizer” refers to a sanitizing agent. As used herein the term “sanitization” refers to the act or process of sanitizing.

As used herein, the term “virucide” refers to an agent that inhibits or destroys viruses, and is synonymous with “viricide”. An agent that exhibits the ability to inhibit or destroy viruses is described as having “virucidal” activity. Peracids can have virucidal activity. Typical alternative virucides known in the art which may be suitable for use with the present invention include, for example, alcohols, ethers, chloroform, formaldehyde, phenols, beta propiolactone, iodine, chlorine, mercury salts, hydroxylamine, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, quaternary ammonium compounds, enzymes, and detergents.

As used herein, the term “biocide” refers to a chemical agent, typically broad spectrum, which inactivates or destroys microorganisms. A chemical agent that exhibits the ability to inactivate or destroy microorganisms is described as having “biocidal” activity. Peracids can have biocidal activity. Typical alternative biocides known in the art, which may be suitable for use in the present invention include, for example, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chloroisocyanurates, hypochlorites, ozone, acrolein, amines, chlorinated phenolics, copper salts, organo-sulphur compounds, and quaternary ammonium salts.

As used herein, the phrase “minimum biocidal concentration” refers to the minimum concentration of a biocidal agent that, for a specific contact time, will produce a desired lethal, irreversible reduction in the viable population of the targeted microorganisms. The effectiveness can be measured by the log₁₀ reduction in viable microorganisms after treatment. In one aspect, the targeted reduction in viable microorganisms after treatment is at least a 3-log reduction, more preferably at least a 4-log reduction, and most preferably at least a 5-log reduction. In another aspect, the minimum biocidal concentration is at least a 6-log reduction in viable microbial cells.

As used herein, the terms “peroxygen source” and “source of peroxygen” refer to compounds capable of providing hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of about 1 mM or more when in an aqueous solution including, but not limited to, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide adducts (e.g., urea-hydrogen peroxide adduct (carbamide peroxide)), perborates, and percarbonates. As described herein, the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide provided by the peroxygen compound in the aqueous reaction formulation is initially at least 1 mM or more upon combining the reaction components. In one embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the aqueous reaction formulation is at least 10 mM. In another embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the aqueous reaction formulation is at least 100 mM. In another embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the aqueous reaction formulation is at least 200 mM. In another embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the aqueous reaction formulation is 500 mM or more. In yet another embodiment, the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the aqueous reaction formulation is 1000 mM or more. The molar ratio of the hydrogen peroxide to enzyme substrate, e.g. triglyceride, (H₂O₂:substrate) in the aqueous reaction formulation may be from about 0.002 to 20, preferably about 0.1 to 10, and most preferably about 0.5 to 5.

By “oligosaccharide” is meant compounds containing between 2 and at least 24 monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic linkages. The term “monosaccharide” refers to a compound of empirical formula (CH₂O)_(n), where n≧3, the carbon skeleton is unbranched, each carbon atom except one contains a hydroxyl group, and the remaining carbon atom is an aldehyde or ketone at carbon atom 2. The term “monosaccharide” also refers to intracellular cyclic hemiacetal or hemiketal forms.

As used herein, the term “excipient” refers to an inactive substance used to stabilize the active ingredient in a formulation, such as the storage stability of the active ingredient. Excipients are also sometimes used to bulk up formulations that contain active ingredients. As described herein, the “active ingredient” is an enzyme catalyst comprising at least one enzyme having perhydrolysis activity. In one embodiment, the active ingredient is at least one CE-7 carbohydrate esterase having perhydrolysis activity.

As used herein, the term “oligosaccharide excipient” means an oligosaccharide that, when added to an aqueous enzyme solution, improves recovery/retention of active enzyme (i.e., perhydrolase activity) after spray drying and/or improves storage stability of the resulting spray-dried enzyme powder or a formulation of the enzyme powder and a carboxylic acid ester. In one embodiment, the addition of the oligosaccharide excipient prior to spray drying improves the storage stability of the enzyme when stored in the carboxylic acid ester (i.e., a storage mixture substantially free of water). The carboxylic acid ester may contain a very low concentration of water, for example, triacetin typically has between 180 ppm and 300 ppm of water. As used herein, the phrase “substantially free of water” will refer to a concentration of water in a mixture of the enzyme powder and the carboxylic acid ester that does not adversely impact the storage stability of enzyme powder when present in the carboxylic acid ester. In a further embodiment, “substantially free of water” may mean less than 2000 ppm, preferably less than 1000 ppm, more preferably less than 500 ppm, and even more preferably less than 250 ppm of water in the formulation comprising the enzyme powder and the carboxylic acid ester.

Enzyme Powder

One aspect is for an enzyme powder comprising a formulation of at least one enzyme structurally classified as a CE-7 enzyme and having perhydrolysis activity, at least one excipient, and optionally at least one surfactant. In one embodiment, the enzyme powder is formed by spray drying. In some embodiments, the at least one excipient is an oligosaccharide excipient has a number average molecular weight of at least about 1250 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about 9000.

The at least one enzyme can be any of the CE-7 carbohydrate esterases described herein or can be any of the CE-7 carbohydrate esterases described in co-owned, copending Published U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2008/0176299 and 2009/0005590 (each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). In some embodiments, the at least one enzyme is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25.

The at least one enzyme is present in the spray-dried formulation in an amount in a range of from about 5 wt % to about 75 wt % based on the dry weight of the spray-dried formulation. A preferred wt % range of enzyme in the spray-dried formulation is from about 10 wt % to 50 wt %, and a more preferred wt % range of enzyme in the spray-dried formulation is from about 20 wt % to 33 wt %

The spray-dried formulation further comprises at least one oligosaccharide excipient. In some embodiments, the at least one oligosaccharide excipient has a number average molecular weight of at least about 1250 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about 9000. In some embodiments, the oligosaccharide excipient has a number average molecular weight of at least about 1700 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about 15000. Specific oligosaccharides useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, maltodextrin, xylan, mannan, fucoidan, galactomannan, chitosan, raffinose, stachyose, pectin, inulin, levan, graminan, and amylopectin, sucrose, lactulose, lactose, maltose, trehalose, cellobiose, nigerotriose, maltotriose, melezitose, maltotriulose, raffinose, kestose, and mixtures thereof. Oligosaccharide-based excipients useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, water-soluble non-ionic cellulose ethers, such as hydroxymethyl-cellulose and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and mixtures thereof.

The excipient is present in the formulation in an amount in a range of from about 95 wt % to about 25 wt % based on the dry weight of the spray-dried formulation. A preferred wt % range of excipient in the spray-dried formulation is from about 90 wt % to 50 wt %, and a more preferred wt % range of excipient in the spray-dried formulation is from about 80 wt % to 67 wt %.

In some embodiments, the formulation further comprises at least one surfactant. Useful surfactants include, but are not limited to, ionic and nonionic surfactants or wetting agents, such as ethoxylated castor oil, polyglycolyzed glycerides, acetylated monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, poloxamers, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene derivatives, monoglycerides or ethoxylated derivatives thereof, diglycerides or polyoxyethylene derivatives thereof, sodium docusate, sodium laurylsulfate, cholic acid or derivatives thereof, lecithins, phospholipids, block copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, and non-ionic organosilicones. Preferably, the surfactant is a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty ester, with polysorbate 80 being more preferred.

When part of the formulation, the surfactant is present in an amount in a range of from about 5 wt % to 0.1 wt % based on the weight of protein present in the spray dried formulation, preferably from about 2 wt % to 0.5 wt % based on the weight of protein present in the spray dried formulation.

The spray dried formulation may additionally comprise one or more buffers (such as sodium and/or potassium salts of bicarbonate, citrate, acetate, phosphate, pyrophosphate, methylphosphonate, succinate, malate, fumarate, tartrate, or maleate), and an enzyme stabilizer (e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, (1-hydroxyethylidene)bisphosphonic acid).

Spray drying of the formulation of at least one enzyme, at least one oligosaccharide excipient, and optionally at least one surfactant is carried out, for example, as described generally in the Spray Drying Handbook, 5^(th) ed., K. Masters, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY, N.Y. (1991), and in PCT Patent Publication Nos. WO 97/41833 (1997) and WO 96/32149 (1996) to Platz, R., et al.

In general spray drying consists of bringing together a highly dispersed liquid and a sufficient volume of hot air to produce evaporation and drying of the liquid droplets. Typically the feed is sprayed into a current of warm filtered air that evaporates the solvent and conveys the dried product to a collector. The spent air is then exhausted with the solvent. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that several different types of apparatus may be used to provide the desired product. For example, commercial spray dryers manufactured by Buchi Ltd. (Postfach, Switzerland) or GEA Niro Corp. (Copenhagen, Denmark) will effectively produce particles of desired size. It will further be appreciated that these spray dryers, and specifically their atomizers, may be modified or customized for specialized applications, such as the simultaneous spraying of two solutions using a double nozzle technique. More specifically, a water-in-oil emulsion can be atomized from one nozzle and a solution containing an anti-adherent such as mannitol can be co-atomized from a second nozzle. In other cases it may be desirable to push the feed solution though a custom designed nozzle using a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) pump. Provided that microstructures comprising the correct morphology and/or composition are produced the choice of apparatus is not critical and would be apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the teachings herein.

The temperature of both the inlet and outlet of the gas used to dry the sprayed material is such that it does not cause degradation of the enzyme in the sprayed material. Such temperatures are typically determined experimentally, although generally, the inlet temperature will range from about 50° C. to about 225° C., while the outlet temperature will range from about 30° C. to about 150° C. Preferred parameters include atomization pressures ranging from about 20-150 psi (0.14 MPa-1.03 MPa), and preferably from about 30-40 to 100 psi (0.21-0.28 MPa to 0.69 MPa). Typically the atomization pressure employed will be one of the following (MPa) 0.14, 0.21, 0.28, 0.34, 0.41, 0.48, 0.55, 0.62, 0.69, 0.76, 0.83 or above.

The enzyme powder or a formulation of the enzyme powder in carboxylic acid ester substantially retains its enzymatic activity for an extended period of time when stored at ambient temperature. The enzyme powder or a formulation of the spray-dried enzyme powder in carboxylic acid ester substantially retains its enzymatic activity at elevated temperatures for short periods of time. In one embodiment, “substantially retains its enzymatic activity” is meant that the spray-dried enzyme powder or a formulation of the spray-dried enzyme powder in carboxylic acid ester retains at least about 75 percent of the enzyme activity of the enzyme in the spray-dried enzyme powder or a formulation of the spray-dried enzyme powder after an extended storage period at ambient temperature and/or after a short storage period at an elevated temperature (above ambient temperature) in a formulation comprised of a carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder as compared to the initial enzyme activity of the enzyme powder prior to the preparation of a formulation comprised of the carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder. The extended storage period is a period of time of from about one year to about two years at ambient temperature. In one embodiment, the short storage period is at an elevated temperature for a period of time of from when the formulation comprised of a carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder is produced at 40° C. to about eight weeks at 40° C. In another embodiment, the elevated temperature is in a range of from about 30° C. to about 52° C. In a preferred embodiment, the elevated temperature is in a range of from about 30° C. to about 40° C.

In some embodiments, the spray-dried enzyme powder has at least 75 percent of the enzyme activity of the at least one enzyme after eight weeks storage at 40° C. in a formulation comprised of a carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder as compared to the initial enzyme activity of the enzyme powder prior to the preparation of a formulation comprised of the carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder at 40° C. In other embodiments, the enzyme powder has at least 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or 100 percent of the enzyme activity of the at least one enzyme after eight weeks storage at 40° C. in a formulation comprised of a carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder as compared to the initial enzyme activity of the enzyme powder prior to the preparation of a formulation comprised of the carboxylic acid ester and the enzyme powder at 40° C. Preferably, perhydrolysis activity is measured as described in Example 8-13, infra, but any method of measuring perhydrolysis activity can be used in the practice of the present invention.

In some embodiments, further improvement in enzyme activity over the stated periods of time can be achieved by adding a buffer having a buffering capacity in a pH range of from about 5.5 to about 9.5 to the formulation comprised of the carboxylic acid ester and the spray-dried enzyme powder. Suitable buffer for use in the formulation may include, but is not limited to, sodium salt, potassium salt, or mixtures of sodium or potassium salts of bicarbonate, pyrophosphate, phosphate, methylphosphonate, citrate, acetate, malate, fumarate, tartrate maleate or succinate. Preferred buffers for use in the formulation comprised of the carboxylic acid ester and the spray-dried enzyme powder include the sodium salt, potassium salt, or mixtures of sodium or potassium salts of bicarbonate, phosphate, methylphosphonate, or citrate.

In embodiments where a buffer is present in the carboxylic acid ester and enzyme powder formulation, the buffer may be present in an amount in a range of from about 0.01 wt % to about 50 wt % based on the weight of carboxylic acid ester in the formulation comprised of carboxylic acid ester and enzyme powder. The buffer may be present in a more preferred range of from about 0.10% to about 10% based on the weight of carboxylic acid ester in the formulation comprised of carboxylic acid ester and enzyme powder. Further, in these embodiments, the comparison between perhydrolysis activities of the enzyme is determined as between (a) an enzyme powder which retains at least 75 percent of the perhydrolysis activity of the at least one enzyme after eight weeks storage at 40° C. in a formulation comprised of a carboxylic acid ester, a buffer having a buffering capacity in a pH range of from about 5.5 to about 9.5, and the enzyme powder and (b) the initial perhydrolysis activity of the enzyme powder prior to the preparation of a formulation comprised of the carboxylic acid ester, the buffer having a buffering capacity in a pH range of from about 5.5 to about 9.5, and the enzyme powder.

It is intended that the enzyme powder be stored as a formulation in the organic compound that is a substrate for the at least one enzyme, such as triacetin. In the absence of added hydrogen peroxide, triacetin is normally hydrolyzed in aqueous solution by a CE-7 carbohydrate esterase to produce diacetin and acetic acid, and the production of acetic acid results in a decrease in the pH of the reaction mixture. One requirement for long term storage stability of the enzyme in triacetin is that there not be significant reaction of the triacetin with any water that might be present in the triacetin; the specification for water content in one commercial triacetin (supplied by Tessenderlo Group, Brussels, Belgium) is 0.03 wt % water (300 ppm). Any hydrolysis of triacetin that occurs during storage of the enzyme in triacetin would produce acetic acid, which could result in a decrease in activity or inactivation of the perhydrolysis activity of the CE-7 carbohydrate esterases; the perhydrolase activity of the CE-7 carbohydrate esterases is typically inactivated at or below a pH of 5.0 (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/539,025 to DiCosimo, R., et al.). The oligosaccharide excipient selected for use in the present application must provide stability of the enzyme in the organic substrate for the enzyme under conditions where acetic acid might be generated due to the presence of low concentrations of water in the formulation.

Suitable Reaction Conditions for the Enzyme-Catalyzed Preparation of Peracids from Carboxylic Acid Esters and Hydrogen Peroxide

In one aspect of the invention, a process is provided to produce an aqueous formulation comprising a peracid by reacting one or more carboxylic acid esters with source of peroxygen (hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate) in the presence of an enzyme catalyst having perhydrolysis activity. In one embodiment, the enzyme catalyst comprises at least one enzyme having perhydrolysis activity, wherein said enzyme is structurally classified as a member of the CE-7 carbohydrate esterase family (CE-7; see Coutinho, P. M., Henrissat, B., supra). In another embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst is structurally classified as a cephalosporin C deacetylase. In another embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst is structurally classified as an acetyl xylan esterase.

In one embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst comprises an enzyme having perhydrolysis activity and a signature motif comprising:

-   -   a) an RGQ motif as amino acid residues 118-120;     -   b) a GXSQG motif at amino acid residues 179-183; and     -   c) an HE motif as amino acid residues 298-299 when aligned to         reference sequence SEQ ID NO:1 using CLUSTALW.

In a further embodiment, the signature motif additional comprises a fourth conserved motif defined as an LXD motif at amino acid residues 267-269 when aligned to reference sequence SEQ ID NO:1 using CLUSTALW.

In another embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst comprises an enzyme having the present signature motif and at least 30% amino acid to SEQ ID NO:1.

In another embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst comprises an enzyme having perhydrolase activity selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25.

In another embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst comprises an enzyme having at least 40% amino acid identity to a contiguous signature motif defined as SEQ ID NO: 18 wherein the conserved motifs described above (i.e., RGQ, GXSQG, and HE, and optionally, LXD) are conserved.

In another embodiment, the perhydrolase catalyst comprises an enzyme having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, wherein said enzyme may have one or more additions, deletions, or substitutions so long as the signature motif is conserved and perhydrolase activity is retained.

Suitable carboxylic acid ester substrates may include esters provided by the following formula: [X]_(m)R₅

-   -   wherein X=an ester group of the formula R₆C(O)O     -   R₆═C1 to C7 linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbyl moiety,         optionally substituted with hydroxyl groups or C1 to C4 alkoxy         groups, wherein R₆ optionally comprises one or more ether         linkages for R6=C2 to C7;     -   R₅=a C1 to C6 linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbyl moiety         optionally substituted with hydroxyl groups; wherein each carbon         atom in R₅ individually comprises no more than one hydroxyl         group or no more than one ester group; wherein R₅ optionally         comprises one or more ether linkages;     -   m=1 to the number of carbon atoms in R₅; and     -   wherein said esters have solubility in water of at least 5 ppm         at 25° C.

In other embodiments, suitable substrates may also include esters of the formula:

wherein R₁═C1 to C7 straight chain or branched chain alkyl optionally substituted with a hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy group and R₂═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, heteroaryl, (CH₂CH₂—O)_(n)H or (CH₂CH(CH₃)—O)_(n)H and n=1 to 10.

In other embodiments, suitable carboxylic acid ester substrates may include glycerides of the formula:

wherein R₁═C1 to C7 straight chain or branched chain alkyl optionally substituted with a hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy group and R₃ and R₄ are individually H or R₁C(O).

In other embodiments, R₆ is C1 to C7 linear hydrocarbyl moiety, optionally substituted with hydroxyl groups or C1 to C4 alkoxy groups, optionally comprising one or more ether linkages. In further preferred embodiments, R₆ is C2 to C7 linear hydrocarbyl moiety, optionally substituted with hydroxyl groups, and/or optionally comprising one or more ether linkages.

In other embodiments, suitable carboxylic acid ester substrates may also include acetylated saccharides selected from the group consisting of acetylated mono-, di-, and polysaccharides. In preferred embodiments, the acetylated saccharides include acetylated mono-, di-, and polysaccharides. In other embodiments, the acetylated saccharides are selected from the group consisting of acetylated xylan, fragments of acetylated xylan, acetylated xylose (such as xylose tetraacetate), acetylated glucose (such as glucose pentaacetate), β-D-ribofuranose-1,2,3,5-tetraacetate, tri-O-acetyl-D-galactal, tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal, and acetylated cellulose. In preferred embodiments, the acetylated saccharide is selected from the group consisting of β-D-ribofuranose-1,2,3,5-tetraacetate, tri-O-acetyl-D-galactal, tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal, and acetylated cellulose. As such, acetylated carbohydrates may be suitable substrates for generating percarboxylic acids using the present methods and systems (i.e., in the presence of a peroxygen source).

In additional embodiments, the carboxylic acid ester substrate may be monoacetin; triacetin; monopropionin; dipropionin; tripropionin; monobutyrin; dibutyrin; tributyrin; glucose pentaacetate; xylose tetraacetate; acetylated xylan; acetylated xylan fragments; β-D-ribofuranose-1,2,3,5-tetraacetate; tri-O-acetyl-D-galactal; tri-O-acetyl-glucal; propylene glycol diacetate; ethylene glycol diacetate; monoesters or diesters of 1,2-ethanediol; 1,2-propanediol; 1,3-propanediol; 1,2-butanediol; 1,3-butanediol; 2,3-butanediol; 1,4-butanediol; 1,2-pentanediol; 2,5-pentanediol; 1,6-pentanediol; 1,2-hexanediol; 2,5-hexanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; and mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments of the present methods and systems, the substrate comprises triacetin.

The carboxylic acid ester is present in the reaction formulation at a concentration sufficient to produce the desired concentration of peracid upon enzyme-catalyzed perhydrolysis. The carboxylic acid ester need not be completely soluble in the reaction formulation, but has sufficient solubility to permit conversion of the ester by the perhydrolase catalyst to the corresponding peracid. The carboxylic acid ester is present in the reaction formulation at a concentration of 0.05 wt % to 40 wt % of the reaction formulation, preferably at a concentration of 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of the reaction formulation, and more preferably at a concentration of 0.5 wt % to 10 wt % of the reaction formulation.

The peroxygen source may include, but is not limited to, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide adducts (e.g., urea-hydrogen peroxide adduct (carbamide peroxide)) perborate salts and percarbonate salts. The concentration of peroxygen compound in the reaction formulation may range from 0.0033 wt % to about 50 wt %, preferably from 0.033 wt % to about 40 wt %, more preferably from 0.33 wt % to about 30 wt %.

Many perhydrolase catalysts (whole cells, permeabilized whole cells, and partially purified whole cell extracts) have been reported to have catalase activity (EC 1.11.1.6). Catalases catalyze the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water. In one aspect, the perhydrolysis catalyst lacks catalase activity. In another aspect, a catalase inhibitor is added to the reaction formulation. Examples of catalase inhibitors include, but are not limited to, sodium azide and hydroxylamine sulfate. One of skill in the art can adjust the concentration of catalase inhibitor as needed. The concentration of the catalase inhibitor typically ranges from 0.1 mM to about 1 M; preferably about 1 mM to about 50 mM; more preferably from about 1 mM to about 20 mM. In one aspect, sodium azide concentration typically ranges from about 20 mM to about 60 mM while hydroxylamine sulfate is concentration is typically about 0.5 mM to about 30 mM, preferably about 10 mM.

In another embodiment, the enzyme catalyst lacks significant catalase activity or is engineered to decrease or eliminate catalase activity. The catalase activity in a host cell can be down-regulated or eliminated by disrupting expression of the gene(s) responsible for the catalase activity using well known techniques including, but not limited to, transposon mutagenesis, RNA antisense expression, targeted mutagenesis, and random mutagenesis. In a preferred embodiment, the gene(s) encoding the endogenous catalase activity are down-regulated or disrupted (i.e. knocked-out). As used herein, a “disrupted” gene is one where the activity and/or function of the protein encoded by the modified gene is no longer present. Means to disrupt a gene are well-known in the art and may include, but are not limited to, insertions, deletions, or mutations to the gene so long as the activity and/or function of the corresponding protein is no longer present. In a further preferred embodiment, the production host is an E. coli production host comprising a disrupted catalase gene selected from the group consisting of katG and katE (see Published U.S. Patent Application No. 20080176299). In another embodiment, the production host is an E. coli strain comprising a down-regulation and/or disruption in both katg1 and a katE catalase genes.

The concentration of the catalyst in the aqueous reaction formulation depends on the specific catalytic activity of the catalyst, and is chosen to obtain the desired rate of reaction. The weight of catalyst in perhydrolysis reactions typically ranges from 0.0001 mg to 10 mg per mL of total reaction volume, preferably from 0.001 mg to 2.0 mg per mL. The catalyst may also be immobilized on a soluble or insoluble support using methods well-known to those skilled in the art; see for example, Immobilization of Enzymes and Cells; Gordon F. Bickerstaff, Editor; Humana Press, Totowa, N.J., USA; 1997. The use of immobilized catalysts permits the recovery and reuse of the catalyst in subsequent reactions. The enzyme catalyst may be in the form of whole microbial cells, permeabilized microbial cells, microbial cell extracts, partially-purified or purified enzymes, and mixtures thereof.

In one aspect, the concentration of peracid generated by the combination of chemical perhydrolysis and enzymatic perhydrolysis of the carboxylic acid ester is sufficient to provide an effective concentration of peracid for bleaching or disinfection at a desired pH. In another aspect, the present methods provide combinations of enzymes and enzyme substrates to produce the desired effective concentration of peracid, where, in the absence of added enzyme, there is a significantly lower concentration of peracid produced. Although there may in some cases be substantial chemical perhydrolysis of the enzyme substrate by direct chemical reaction of inorganic peroxide with the enzyme substrate, there may not be a sufficient concentration of peracid generated to provide an effective concentration of peracid in the desired applications, and a significant increase in total peracid concentration is achieved by the addition of an appropriate perhydrolase catalyst to the reaction formulation.

The concentration of peracid generated (such as peracetic acid) by the perhydrolysis of at least one carboxylic acid ester is at least about 20 ppm, preferably at least 100 ppm, more preferably at least about 200 ppm peracid, more preferably at least 300 ppm, more preferably at least 500 ppm, more preferably at least 700 ppm, more preferably at least about 1000 ppm peracid, most preferably at least 2000 ppm peracid within 10 minutes, preferably within 5 minutes, more preferably within 1 minute of initiating the perhydrolysis reaction. The product formulation comprising the peracid may be optionally diluted with water, or a solution predominantly comprised of water, to produce a formulation with the desired lower concentration of peracid. In one aspect, the reaction time required to produce the desired concentration of peracid is not greater than about two hours, preferably not greater than about 30 minutes, more preferably not greater than about 10 minutes, and most preferably in about 5 minutes or less. In other aspects, a hard surface or inanimate object contaminated with a biological contaminant(s) is contacted with the peracid formed in accordance with the processes described herein within about 5 minutes to about 168 hours of combining said reaction components, or within about 5 minutes to about 48 hours, or within about 5 minutes to 2 hours of combining said reaction components, or any such time interval therein.

In another aspect, the peroxycarboxylic acid formed in accordance with the processes describe herein is used in a laundry care application wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid is contacted with at least one article of clothing or textile to provide a benefit, such as disinfecting, bleaching, destaining, sanitizing, deodorizing or a combination thereof. The peroxycarboxylic acid may be used in a variety of laundry care products including, but not limited to, textile pre-wash treatments, laundry detergents, stain removers, bleaching compositions, deodorizing compositions, and rinsing agents. In one embodiment, the present process to produce a peroxycarboxylic acid for a target surface is conducted in situ.

In the context of laundry care applications, the term “contacting an article of clothing or textile” means that the article of clothing or textile is exposed to a formulation disclosed herein. To this end, there are a number of formats the formulation may be used to treat fabric including, but not limited to, liquid, solids, gel, paste, bars, tablets, spray, foam, powder, or granules and can be delivered via hand dosing, unit dosing, dosing from a substrate, spraying and automatic dosing from a laundry washing or drying machine. Granular compositions can also be in compact form; liquid compositions can also be in a concentrated form.

When the formulations disclosed herein are used in a laundry machine, the formulation can further contain components typical to laundry detergents. For example, typical components included, but are not limited to, surfactants, bleaching agents, bleach activators, additional enzymes, suds suppressors, dispersants, lime-soap dispersants, soil suspension and anti-redeposition agents, softening agents, corrosion inhibitors, tarnish inhibitors, germicides, pH adjusting agents, non-builder alkalinity sources, chelating agents, organic and/or inorganic fillers, solvents, hydrotropes, optical brighteners, dyes, and perfumes.

The formulations disclosed herein can also be used as detergent additive products in solid or liquid form. Such additive products are intended to supplement or boost the performance of conventional detergent compositions and can be added at any stage of the cleaning process.

In connection with the present systems and methods for laundry care where the peracid is generated for one or more of bleaching, stain removal, and odor reduction, the concentration of peracid generated (e.g., peracetic acid) by the perhydrolysis of at least one carboxylic acid ester may be at least about 2 ppm, preferably at least 20 ppm, preferably at least 100 ppm, and more preferably at least about 200 ppm peracid. In connection with the present systems and methods for laundry care where the peracid is generated for disinfection or sanitization, the concentration of peracid generated (e.g., peracetic acid) by the perhydrolysis of at least one carboxylic acid ester may be at least about 2 ppm, more preferably at least 20 ppm, more preferably at least 200 ppm, more preferably at least 500 ppm, more preferably at least 700 ppm, more preferably at least about 1000 ppm peracid, most preferably at least 2000 ppm peracid within 10 minutes, preferably within 5 minutes, and most preferably within 1 minute of initiating the perhydrolysis reaction. The product mixture comprising the peracid may be optionally diluted with water, or a solution predominantly comprised of water, to produce a mixture with the desired lower concentration of peracid. In one aspect of the present methods and systems, the reaction time required to produce the desired concentration of peracid is not greater than about two hours, preferably not greater than about 30 minutes, more preferably not greater than about 10 minutes, even more preferably not greater than about 5 minutes, and most preferably in about 1 minute or less.

The temperature of the reaction is chosen to control both the reaction rate and the stability of the enzyme catalyst activity. The temperature of the reaction may range from just above the freezing point of the reaction formulation (approximately 0° C.) to about 95° C., with a preferred range of reaction temperature of from about 5° C. to about 55° C.

The pH of the final reaction formulation containing peracid is from about 2 to about 9, preferably from about 3 to about 8, more preferably from about 5 to about 8, even more preferably about 5.5 to about 8, and yet even more preferably about 6.0 to about 7.5. In another embodiment, the pH of the reaction formulation is acidic (pH <7). The pH of the reaction, and of the final reaction formulation, may optionally be controlled by the addition of a suitable buffer, including, but not limited to, bicarbonate, pyrophosphate, phosphate, methylphosphonate, citrate, acetate, malate, fumarate, tartrate maleate or succinate. The concentration of buffer, when employed, is typically from 0.1 mM to 1.0 M, preferably from 1 mM to 300 mM, most preferably from 10 mM to 100 mM.

In another aspect, the enzymatic perhydrolysis reaction formulation may contain an organic solvent that acts as a dispersant to enhance the rate of dissolution of the carboxylic acid ester in the reaction formulation. Such solvents include, but are not limited to, propylene glycol methyl ether, acetone, cyclohexanone, diethylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, cyclohexanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropanol, ethanol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

In another aspect, the enzymatic perhydrolysis product may contain additional components that provide desirable functionality. These additional components include, but are not limited to, buffers, detergent builders, thickening agents, emulsifiers, surfactants, wetting agents, corrosion inhibitors (such as benzotriazole), enzyme stabilizers, and peroxide stabilizers (e.g., metal ion chelating agents). Many of the additional components are well known in the detergent industry (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,532; hereby incorporated by reference). Examples of emulsifiers include, but are not limited to polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinylpyrrolidone. Examples of thickening agents include, but are not limited to, LAPONITE® RD, corn starch, PVP, CARBOWAX®, CARBOPOL®, CABOSIL®, polysorbate 20, PVA, and lecithin. Examples of buffering systems include, but are not limited to, sodium phosphate monobasic/sodium phosphate dibasic; sulfamic acid/triethanolamine; citric acid/triethanolamine; tartaric acid/triethanolamine; succinic acid/triethanolamine; and acetic acid/triethanolamine. Examples of surfactants include, but are not limited to, a) non-ionic surfactants such as block copolymers of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide, ethoxylated or propoxylated linear and branched primary and secondary alcohols, and aliphatic phosphine oxides; b) cationic surfactants such as quaternary ammonium compounds, particularly quaternary ammonium compounds having a C8-C20 alkyl group bound to a nitrogen atom additionally bound to three C1-C2 alkyl groups; c) anionic surfactants such as alkane carboxylic acids (e.g., C8-C20 fatty acids), alkyl phosphonates, alkane sulfonates (e.g., sodium dodecylsulphate “SDS”) or linear or branched alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkene sulfonates; and d) amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants, such as aminocarboxylic acids, aminodicarboxylic acids, alkybetaines, and mixtures thereof. Additional components may include fragrances, dyes, stabilizers of hydrogen peroxide (e.g., metal chelators such as 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (DEQUEST® 2010, Solutia Inc., St. Louis, Mo. and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)), TURPINAL® SL (CAS#2809-21-4), DEQUEST® 0520, DEQUEST® 0531, stabilizers of enzyme activity (e.g., polyethylene glycol (PEG)), and detergent builders.

In Situ Production of Peracids Using a Perhydrolase Catalyst

Cephalosporin C deacetylases (E.C. 3.1.1.41; systematic name cephalosporin C acetylhydrolases; CAHs) are enzymes having the ability to hydrolyze the acetyl ester bond on cephalosporins such as cephalosporin C, 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, and 7-(thiophene-2-acetamido)cephalosporanic acid (Abbott, B. and Fukuda, D., Appl. Microbiol. 30(3):413-419 (1975)). CAHs belong to a larger family of structurally related enzymes referred to as the carbohydrate esterase family seven (“CE-7”; Coutinho, P. M., Henrissat, B., supra).

The CE-7 carbohydrate esterase family includes both CAHs and acetyl xylan esterases (AXEs; E.C. 3.1.1.72). CE-7 family members share a common structural motif and are quite unusual in that they typically exhibit ester hydrolysis activity for both acetylated xylooligosaccharides and acetylated cephalosporin C, suggesting that the CE-7 family represents a single class of proteins with a multifunctional deacetylase activity against a range of small substrates (Vincent et al., supra). Vincent et al. describes the structural similarity among the members of this family and defines a signature sequence motif characteristic of the CE-7 family.

Members of the CE-7 family are found in plants, fungi (e.g., Cephalosporidium acremonium), yeasts (e.g., Rhodosporidium toruloides, Rhodotorula glutinis), and bacteria such as Thermoanaerobacterium sp.; Norcardia lactamdurans, and various members of the genus Bacillus (Politino et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 63(12):4807-4811 (1997); Sakai et al., J. Ferment. Bioeng. 85:53-57 (1998); Lorenz, W. and Wiegel, J., J. Bacteriol 179:5436-5441 (1997); Cardoza et al., Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 54(3):406-412 (2000); Mitsushima et al., supra; Abbott, B. and Fukuda, D., Appl. Microbiol. 30(3):413-419 (1975); Vincent et al., supra, Takami et al., NAR, 28(21):4317-4331 (2000); Rey et al., Genome Biol., 5(10): article 77 (2004); Degrassi et al., Microbiology., 146:1585-1591 (2000); U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,233; U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,525; U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,676; and WO 99/03984.

WO2007/070609 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0176299 and 2008/176783 to DiCosimo et al. disclose various enzymes structurally classified as CE-7 enzymes that have perhydrolysis activity suitable for producing efficacious concentrations of peracids from a variety of carboxylic acid ester substrates when combined with a source of peroxygen. Variant CE-7 enzymes having improved perhydrolysis activity are also described in a co-filed, co-owned, and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/572,094, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

The present method produces industrially-useful, efficacious concentrations of peracids in situ under aqueous reaction conditions using the perhydrolase activity of an enzyme belonging to the CE-7 family of carbohydrate esterases.

HPLC Assay Method for Determining the Concentration of Peracid and Hydrogen Peroxide.

A variety of analytical methods can be used in the present methods to analyze the reactants and products including, but not limited to, titration, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), mass spectroscopy (MS), capillary electrophoresis (CE), the analytical procedure described by U. Karst et al., (Anal. Chem., 69(17):3623-3627 (1997)), and the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothazoline)-6-sulfonate (ABTS) assay (S. Minning, et al., Analytica Chimica Acta 378:293-298 (1999) and WO 2004/058961 A1) as described in the present examples.

Determination of Minimum Biocidal Concentration of Peracids

The method described by J. Gabrielson, et al. (J. Microbiol. Methods 50: 63-73 (2002)) can be employed for determination of the Minimum Biocidal Concentration (MBC) of peracids, or of hydrogen peroxide and enzyme substrates. The assay method is based on XTT reduction inhibition, where XTT ((2,3-bis[2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt, monosodium salt) is a redox dye that indicates microbial respiratory activity by a change in optical density (OD) measured at 490 nm or 450 nm. However, there are a variety of other methods available for testing the activity of disinfectants and antiseptics including, but not limited to, viable plate counts, direct microscopic counts, dry weight, turbidity measurements, absorbance, and bioluminescence (see, for example Brock, Semour S., Disinfection, Sterilization, and Preservation, 5^(th) edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, Pa., USA; 2001).

Uses of Enzymatically Prepared Peroxycarboxylic Acid Compositions

The enzyme catalyst-generated peroxycarboxylic acid produced according to the present method can be used in a variety of hard surface/inanimate object applications for reduction of concentrations of biological contaminants, such as decontamination of medical instruments (e.g., endoscopes), textiles (e.g., garments, carpets), food preparation surfaces, food storage and food-packaging equipment, materials used for the packaging of food products, chicken hatcheries and grow-out facilities, animal enclosures, and spent process waters that have microbial and/or virucidal activity. The enzyme-generated peroxycarboxylic acids may be used in formulations designed to inactivate prions (e.g., certain proteases) to additionally provide biocidal activity. In a preferred aspect, the present peroxycarboxylic acid compositions are particularly useful as a disinfecting agent for non-autoclavable medical instruments and food packaging equipment. As the peroxycarboxylic acid-containing formulation may be prepared using GRAS or food-grade components (enzyme, enzyme substrate, hydrogen peroxide, and buffer), the enzyme-generated peroxycarboxylic acid may also be used for decontamination of animal carcasses, meat, fruits and vegetables, or for decontamination of prepared foods. The enzyme-generated peroxycarboxylic acid may be incorporated into a product whose final form is a powder, liquid, gel, film, solid or aerosol. The enzyme-generated peroxycarboxylic acid may be diluted to a concentration that still provides an efficacious decontamination.

The compositions comprising an efficacious concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid can be used to disinfect surfaces and/or objects contaminated (or suspected of being contaminated) with biological contaminants by contacting the surface or object with the products produced by the present processes. As used herein, “contacting” refers to placing a disinfecting composition comprising an effective concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid in contact with the surface or inanimate object suspected of contamination with a biological contaminant for a period of time sufficient to clean and disinfect. Contacting includes spraying, treating, immersing, flushing, pouring on or in, mixing, combining, painting, coating, applying, affixing to and otherwise communicating a peroxycarboxylic acid solution or composition comprising an efficacious concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid, or a solution or composition that forms an efficacious concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid, with the surface or inanimate object suspected of being contaminated with a concentration of a biological contaminant. The disinfectant compositions may be combined with a cleaning composition to provide both cleaning and disinfection. Alternatively, a cleaning agent (e.g., a surfactant or detergent) may be incorporated into the formulation to provide both cleaning and disinfection in a single composition.

The compositions comprising an efficacious concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid can also contain at least one additional antimicrobial agent, combinations of prion-degrading proteases, a virucide, a sporicide, or a biocide. Combinations of these agents with the peroxycarboxylic acid produced by the claimed processes can provide for increased and/or synergistic effects when used to clean and disinfect surfaces and/or objects contaminated (or suspected of being contaminated) with biological contaminants. Suitable antimicrobial agents include carboxylic esters (e.g., p-hydroxy alkyl benzoates and alkyl cinnamates); sulfonic acids (e.g., dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid); iodo-compounds or active halogen compounds (e.g., elemental halogens, halogen oxides (e.g., NaOCl, HOCl, HOBr, ClO₂), iodine, interhalides (e.g., iodine monochloride, iodine dichloride, iodine trichloride, iodine tetrachloride, bromine chloride, iodine monobromide, or iodine dibromide), polyhalides, hypochlorite salts, hypochlorous acid, hypobromite salts, hypobromous acid, chloro- and bromo-hydantoins, chlorine dioxide, and sodium chlorite); organic peroxides including benzoyl peroxide, alkyl benzoyl peroxides, ozone, singlet oxygen generators, and mixtures thereof; phenolic derivatives (such as o-phenyl phenol, o-benzyl-p-chlorophenol, tert-amyl phenol and C₁-C₆ alkyl hydroxy benzoates); quaternary ammonium compounds (such as alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, dialkyldimethyl ammonium chloride and mixtures thereof); and mixtures of such antimicrobial agents, in an amount sufficient to provide the desired degree of microbial protection. Effective amounts of antimicrobial agents include about 0.001 wt % to about 60 wt % antimicrobial agent, about 0.01 wt % to about 15 wt % antimicrobial agent, or about 0.08 wt % to about 2.5 wt % antimicrobial agent.

In one aspect, the peroxycarboxylic acids formed by the present process can be used to reduce the concentration of viable biological contaminants (such as a viable microbial population) when applied on and/or at a locus. As used herein, a “locus” comprises part or all of a target surface suitable for disinfecting or bleaching. Target surfaces include all surfaces that can potentially be contaminated with biological contaminants. Non-limiting examples include equipment surfaces found in the food or beverage industry (such as tanks, conveyors, floors, drains, coolers, freezers, equipment surfaces, walls, valves, belts, pipes, drains, joints, crevasses, combinations thereof, and the like); building surfaces (such as walls, floors and windows); non-food-industry related pipes and drains, including water treatment facilities, pools and spas, and fermentation tanks; hospital or veterinary surfaces (such as walls, floors, beds, equipment (such as endoscopes), clothing worn in hospital/veterinary or other healthcare settings, including clothing, scrubs, shoes, and other hospital or veterinary surfaces); restaurant surfaces; bathroom surfaces; toilets; clothes and shoes; surfaces of barns or stables for livestock, such as poultry, cattle, dairy cows, goats, horses and pigs; hatcheries for poultry or for shrimp; and pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical surfaces (e.g., pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical ingredients, pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical excipients). Additional hard surfaces also include food products, such as beef, poultry, pork, vegetables, fruits, seafood, combinations thereof, and the like. The locus can also include water absorbent materials such as infected linens or other textiles. The locus also includes harvested plants or plant products including seeds, corms, tubers, fruit, and vegetables, growing plants, and especially crop growing plants, including cereals, leaf vegetables and salad crops, root vegetables, legumes, berried fruits, citrus fruits and hard fruits.

Non-limiting examples of hard surface materials are metals (e.g., steel, stainless steel, chrome, titanium, iron, copper, brass, aluminum, and alloys thereof), minerals (e.g., concrete), polymers and plastics (e.g., polyolefins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(meth)acrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polybutadiene, poly(acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene), poly(acrylonitrile, butadiene), acrylonitrile butadiene; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate; and polyamides such as nylon). Additional surfaces include brick, tile, ceramic, porcelain, wood, vinyl, linoleum, and carpet.

The peroxycarboxylic acids formed by the present process may be used to provide a benefit to an article of clothing or textile including, but not limited to, bleaching, destaining, sanitizing, disinfecting, and deodorizing. The peroxycarboxylic acids formed by the present process may be used in any number of laundry care products including, but not limited to, textile pre-wash treatments, laundry detergents, stain removers, bleaching compositions, deodorizing compositions, and rinsing agents.

Recombinant Microbial Expression

The genes and gene products of the instant sequences may be produced in heterologous host cells, particularly in the cells of microbial hosts. Preferred heterologous host cells for expression of the instant genes and nucleic acid molecules are microbial hosts that can be found within the fungal or bacterial families and which grow over a wide range of temperature, pH values, and solvent tolerances. For example, it is contemplated that any of bacteria, yeast, and filamentous fungi may suitably host the expression of the present nucleic acid molecules. The perhydrolase may be expressed intracellularly, extracellularly, or a combination of both intracellularly and extracellularly, where extracellular expression renders recovery of the desired protein from a fermentation product more facile than methods for recovery of protein produced by intracellular expression. Transcription, translation and the protein biosynthetic apparatus remain invariant relative to the cellular feedstock used to generate cellular biomass; functional genes will be expressed regardless. Examples of host strains include, but are not limited to, bacterial, fungal or yeast species such as Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Phaffia, Kluyveromyces, Candida, Hansenula, Yarrowia, Salmonella, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Zymomonas, Agrobacterium, Erythrobacter, Chlorobium, Chromatium, Flavobacterium, Cytophaga, Rhodobacter, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces, Brevibacterium, Corynebacteria, Mycobacterium, Deinococcus, Escherichia, Erwinia, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Methylomonas, Methylobacter, Methylococcus, Methylosinus, Methylomicrobium, Methylocystis, Alcaligenes, Synechocystis, Synechococcus, Anabaena, Thiobacillus, Methanobacterium, Klebsiella, and Myxococcus. In one embodiment, bacterial host strains include Escherichia, Bacillus, Kluyveromyces, and Pseudomonas. In a preferred embodiment, the bacterial host cell is Escherichia coli.

Large-scale microbial growth and functional gene expression may use a wide range of simple or complex carbohydrates, organic acids and alcohols or saturated hydrocarbons, such as methane or carbon dioxide in the case of photosynthetic or chemoautotrophic hosts, the form and amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, oxygen, carbon or any trace micronutrient including small inorganic ions. The regulation of growth rate may be affected by the addition, or not, of specific regulatory molecules to the culture and which are not typically considered nutrient or energy sources.

Vectors or cassettes useful for the transformation of suitable host cells are well known in the art. Typically the vector or cassette contains sequences directing transcription and translation of the relevant gene, a selectable marker, and sequences allowing autonomous replication or chromosomal integration. Suitable vectors comprise a region 5′ of the gene which harbors transcriptional initiation controls and a region 3′ of the DNA fragment which controls transcriptional termination. It is most preferred when both control regions are derived from genes homologous to the transformed host cell and/or native to the production host, although such control regions need not be so derived.

Initiation control regions or promoters, which are useful to drive expression of the present cephalosporin C deacetylase coding region in the desired host cell are numerous and familiar to those skilled in the art. Virtually any promoter capable of driving these genes is suitable for the present invention including, but not limited to, CYC1, HIS3, GAL1, GAL10, ADH1, PGK, PHO5, GAPDH, ADC1, TRP1, URA3, LEU2, ENO, TPI (useful for expression in Saccharomyces); AOX1 (useful for expression in Pichia); and lac, araB, tet, trp, IP_(L), IP_(R), T7, tac, and trc (useful for expression in Escherichia coli) as well as the amy, apr, npr promoters and various phage promoters useful for expression in Bacillus.

Termination control regions may also be derived from various genes native to the preferred host cell. In one embodiment, the inclusion of a termination control region is optional. In another embodiment, the chimeric gene includes a termination control region derived from the preferred host cell.

Industrial Production

A variety of culture methodologies may be applied to produce the perhydrolase catalyst. For example, large-scale production of a specific gene product overexpressed from a recombinant microbial host may be produced by batch, fed-batch, and continuous culture methodologies. Batch and fed-batch culturing methods are common and well known in the art and examples may be found in Thomas D. Brock in Biotechnology: A Textbook of Industrial Microbiology, Second Edition, Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, Mass. (1989) and Deshpande, Mukund V., Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 36:227 (1992).

Commercial production of the desired perhydrolase catalyst may also be accomplished with a continuous culture. Continuous cultures are an open system where a defined culture media is added continuously to a bioreactor and an equal amount of conditioned media is removed simultaneously for processing. Continuous cultures generally maintain the cells at a constant high liquid phase density where cells are primarily in log phase growth. Alternatively, continuous culture may be practiced with immobilized cells where carbon and nutrients are continuously added and valuable products, by-products or waste products are continuously removed from the cell mass. Cell immobilization may be performed using a wide range of solid supports composed of natural and/or synthetic materials.

Recovery of the desired perhydrolase catalysts from a batch fermentation, fed-batch fermentation, or continuous culture, may be accomplished by any of the methods that are known to those skilled in the art. For example, when the enzyme catalyst is produced intracellularly, the cell paste is separated from the culture medium by centrifugation or membrane filtration, optionally washed with water or an aqueous buffer at a desired pH, then a suspension of the cell paste in an aqueous buffer at a desired pH is homogenized to produce a cell extract containing the desired enzyme catalyst. The cell extract may optionally be filtered through an appropriate filter aid such as celite or silica to remove cell debris prior to a heat-treatment step to precipitate undesired protein from the enzyme catalyst solution. The solution containing the desired enzyme catalyst may then be separated from the precipitated cell debris and protein by membrane filtration or centrifugation, and the resulting partially-purified enzyme catalyst solution concentrated by additional membrane filtration, then optionally mixed with an appropriate carrier (for example, maltodextrin, phosphate buffer, citrate buffer, or mixtures thereof) and spray-dried to produce a solid powder comprising the desired enzyme catalyst.

When an amount, concentration, or other value or parameter is given either as a range, preferred range, or a list of upper preferable values and lower preferable values, this is to be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed from any pair of any upper range limit or preferred value and any lower range limit or preferred value, regardless of whether ranges are separately disclosed. Where a range of numerical values is recited herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include the endpoints thereof, and all integers and fractions within the range. It is not intended that the scope be limited to the specific values recited when defining a range.

General Methods

The following examples are provided to demonstrate preferred embodiments. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow represent techniques discovered by the inventor to function well in the practice of the methods disclosed herein, and thus can be considered to constitute preferred modes for its practice. However, those of skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed methods.

All reagents and materials were obtained from DIFCO Laboratories (Detroit, Mich.), GIBCO/BRL (Gaithersburg, Md.), TCI America (Portland, Oreg.), Roche Diagnostics Corporation (Indianapolis, Ind.) or Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company (St. Louis, Mo.), unless otherwise specified.

The following abbreviations in the specification correspond to units of measure, techniques, properties, or compounds as follows: “sec” or “s” means second(s), “min” means minute(s), “h” or “hr” means hour(s), “μL” means microliter(s), “mL” means milliliter(s), “L” means liter(s), “mM” means millimolar, “M” means molar, “mmol” means millimole(s), “ppm” means part(s) per million, “wt” means weight, “wt %” means weight percent, “g” means gram(s), “mg” means milligram(s), “μg” means microgram(s), “ng” means nanogram(s), “g” means gravity, “HPLC” means high performance liquid chromatography, “dd H₂O” means distilled and deionized water, “dcw” means dry cell weight, “ATCC” or “ATCC®” means the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, Va.), “U” means unit(s) of perhydrolase activity, “rpm” means revolution(s) per minute, “Tg” means glass transition temperature, and “EDTA” means ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

EXAMPLE 1 Construction of a katG Catalase Disrupted E. coli Strain

The coding region of the kanamycin resistance gene (kan; SEQ ID NO:26) was amplified from the plasmid pKD13 (SEQ ID NO: 27) by PCR (0.5 min at 94° C., 0.5 min at 55° C., 1 min at 70° C., 30 cycles) using primers identified as SEQ ID NO: 28 and SEQ ID NO: 29 to generate the PCR product identified as SEQ ID NO: 30. The katG nucleic acid sequence is provided as SEQ ID NO: 31 and the corresponding amino acid sequence is SEQ ID NO: 32. E. coli MG1655 (ATCC® 47076™) was transformed with the temperature-sensitive plasmid pKD46 (SEQ ID NO: 33), which contains the λ-Red recombinase genes (Datsenko and Wanner, (2000), PNAS USA 97:6640-6645), and selected on LB-amp plates for 24 h at 30° C. MG1655/pKD46 was transformed with 50-500 ng of the PCR product by electroporation (BioRad Gene Pulser, 0.2 cm cuvette, 2.5 kV, 200 W, 25 μF), and selected on LB-kan plates for 24 h at 37° C. Several colonies were streaked onto LB-kan plates and incubated overnight at 42° C. to cure the pKD46 plasmid. Colonies were checked to confirm a phenotype of kanR/ampS. Genomic DNA was isolated from several colonies using the PUREGENE® DNA purification system (Gentra Systems, Minneapolis, Minn.), and checked by PCR to confirm disruption of the katG gene using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:34 and SEQ ID NO:35. Several katG-disrupted strains were transformed with the temperature-sensitive plasmid pCP20 (SEQ ID NO:36), which contains the FLP recombinase, used to excise the kan gene, and selected on LB-amp plates for 24 h at 37° C. Several colonies were streaked onto LB plates and incubated overnight at 42° C. to cure the pCP20 plasmid. Two colonies were checked to confirm a phenotype of kanS/ampS, and called MG1655 KatG1 and MG1655 KatG2.

EXAMPLE 2 Construction of a katE Catalase Disrupted E. coli Strain

The kanamycin resistance gene (SEQ ID NO:26) was amplified from the plasmid pKD13 (SEQ ID NO:27) by PCR (0.5 min at 94° C., 0.5 min at 55° C., 1 min at 70° C., 30 cycles) using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:37 and SEQ ID NO:38 to generate the PCR product identified as SEQ ID NO:39. The katE nucleic acid sequence is provided as SEQ ID NO:40 and the corresponding amino acid sequence is SEQ ID NO:41. E. coli MG1655 (ATCC® 47076™) was transformed with the temperature-sensitive plasmid pKD46 (SEQ ID NO:33), which contains the λ-Red recombinase genes, and selected on LB-amp plates for 24 h at 30° C. MG1655/pKD46 was transformed with 50-500 ng of the PCR product by electroporation (BioRad Gene Pulser, 0.2 cm cuvette, 2.5 kV, 200 W, 25 μF), and selected on LB-kan plates for 24 h at 37° C. Several colonies were streaked onto LB-kan plates and incubated overnight at 42° C. to cure the pKD46 plasmid. Colonies were checked to confirm a phenotype of kanR/ampS. Genomic DNA was isolated from several colonies using the PUREGENE® DNA purification system, and checked by PCR to confirm disruption of the katE gene using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:42 and SEQ ID NO:43. Several katE-disrupted strains were transformed with the temperature-sensitive plasmid pCP20 (SEQ ID NO:36), which contains the FLP recombinase, used to excise the kan gene, and selected on LB-amp plates for 24 h at 37° C. Several colonies were streaked onto LB plates and incubated overnight at 42° C. to cure the pCP20 plasmid. Two colonies were checked to confirm a phenotype of kanS/ampS, and called MG1655 KatE1 and MG1655 KatE2.

EXAMPLE 3 Construction of a katG Catalase and katE Catalase Disrupted E. coli Strain (KLP18)

The kanamycin resistance gene (SEQ ID NO:26) was amplified from the plasmid pKD13 (SEQ ID NO:27) by PCR (0.5 min at 94° C., 0.5 min at 55° C., 1 min at 70° C., 30 cycles) using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:37 and SEQ ID NO:38 to generate the PCR product identified as SEQ ID NO:39. E. coli MG1655 KatG1 (EXAMPLE 1) was transformed with the temperature-sensitive plasmid pKD46 (SEQ ID NO:33), which contains the λ-Red recombinase genes, and selected on LB-amp plates for 24 h at 30° C. MG1655 KatG1/pKD46 was transformed with 50-500 ng of the PCR product by electroporation (BioRad Gene Pulser, 0.2 cm cuvette, 2.5 kV, 200 W, 25 μF), and selected on LB-kan plates for 24 h at 37° C. Several colonies were streaked onto LB-kan plates and incubated overnight at 42° C. to cure the pKD46 plasmid. Colonies were checked to confirm a phenotype of kanR/ampS. Genomic DNA was isolated from several colonies using the PUREGENE® DNA purification system, and checked by PCR to confirm disruption of the katE gene using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:42 and SEQ ID NO:43. Several katE-disrupted strains (A katE) were transformed with the temperature-sensitive plasmid pCP20 (SEQ ID NO:36), which contains the FLP recombinase, used to excise the kan gene, and selected on LB-amp plates for 24 h at 37° C. Several colonies were streaked onto LB plates and incubated overnight at 42° C. to cure the pCP20 plasmid. Two colonies were checked to confirm a phenotype of kanS/ampS, and called MG1655 KatG1KatE18.1 and MG1655 KatG1KatE23. MG1655 KatG1KatE18.1 is designated E. coli KLP18.

EXAMPLE 4 Cloning and Expression of Perhydrolase from Thermotoga neapolitana

The coding region of the gene encoding acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga neapolitana as reported in GENBANK® (accession number AE000512; region 80481-81458; SEQ ID NO:44) was synthesized using codons optimized for expression in E. coli (DNA 2.0, Menlo Park, Calif.). The coding region of the gene was subsequently amplified by PCR (0.5 min at 94° C., 0.5 min at 55° C., 1 min at 70° C., 30 cycles) using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:45 and SEQ ID NO:46. The resulting nucleic acid product (SEQ ID NO:47) was subcloned into pTrcHis2-TOPO® to generate the plasmid identified as pSW196. The plasmid pSW196 was used to transform E. coli KLP18 (EXAMPLE 3) to generate the strain KLP18/pSW196. KLP18/pSW196 was grown in LB media at 37° C. with shaking up to OD_(600 nm)=0.4-0.5, at which time IPTG was added to a final concentration of 1 mM, and incubation continued for 2-3 h. Cells were harvested by centrifugation and SDS-PAGE was performed to confirm expression of the perhydrolase at 20-40% of total soluble protein.

EXAMPLE 5 Cloning and Expression of Perhydrolase from Thermotoga maritima MSB8

The coding region of the gene encoding acetyl xylan esterase from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 as reported in GENBANK® (accession # NP_(—)227893.1; SEQ ID NO: 48) was synthesized (DNA 2.0, Menlo Park, Calif.). The coding region of the gene was subsequently amplified by PCR (0.5 min @ 94° C., 0.5 min @ 55° C., 1 min @ 70° C., 30 cycles) using primers identified as SEQ ID NO:49 and SEQ ID NO:50. The resulting nucleic acid product (SEQ ID NO:51) was cut with restriction enzymes PstI and XbaI and subcloned between the PstI and XbaI sites in pUC19 to generate the plasmid identified as pSW207. The plasmid pSW207 was used to transform E. coli KLP18 (EXAMPLE 3) to generate the strain identified as KLP18/pSW207. KLP18/pSW207 was grown in LB media at 37° C. with shaking up to OD_(600 nm)=0.4-0.5, at which time IPTG was added to a final concentration of 1 mM, and incubation continued for 2-3 h. Cells were harvested by centrifugation and SDS-PAGE was performed to confirm expression of the perhydrolase enzyme at 20-40% of total soluble protein.

EXAMPLE 6 Fermentation of E. coli KLP18 Transformants Expressing Perhydrolase

A fermentor seed culture was prepared by charging a 2-L shake flask with 0.5 L seed medium containing yeast extract (Amberex 695, 5.0 g/L), K₂HPO₄ (10.0 g/L), KH₂PO₄(7.0 g/L), sodium citrate dihydrate (1.0 g/L), (NH₄)₂SO₄ (4.0 g/L), MgSO₄ heptahydrate (1.0 g/L) and ferric ammonium citrate (0.10 g/L). The pH of the medium was adjusted to 6.8 and the medium was sterilized in the flask. Post sterilization additions included glucose (50 wt %, 10.0 mL) and 1 mL ampicillin (25 mg/mL) stock solution. The seed medium was inoculated with a 1-mL culture of E. coli KLP18/pSW196 or E. coli KLP18/pSW207 in 20% glycerol, and cultivated at 35° C. and 300 rpm. The seed culture was transferred at ca. 1-2OD_(550 nm) to a 14-L fermentor (Braun Biotech, Allentown, Pa.) with 8 L of medium at 35° C. containing KH₂PO₄ (3.50 g/L), FeSO₄ heptahydrate (0.05 g/L), MgSO₄ heptahydrate (2.0 g/L), sodium citrate dihydrate (1.90 g/L), yeast extract (Amberex 695, 5.0 g/L), Biospumex153K antifoam (0.25 mL/L, Cognis Corporation, Monheim, Germany), NaCl (1.0 g/L), CaCl₂ dihydrate (10 g/L), and NIT trace elements solution (10 mL/L). The trace elements solution contained citric acid monohydrate (10 g/L), MnSO₄ hydrate (2 g/L), NaCl (2 g/L), FeSO₄ heptahydrate (0.5 g/L), ZnSO₄ heptahydrate (0.2 g/L), CuSO₄ pentahydrate (0.02 g/L) and NaMoO₄ dihydrate (0.02 g/L). Post sterilization additions included glucose solution (50% w/w, 80.0 g) and ampicillin (25 mg/mL) stock solution (16.00 mL). Glucose solution (50% w/w) was used for fed batch. Glucose feed was initiated when glucose concentration decreased to 0.5 g/L, starting at 0.31 g feed/min and increasing progressively each hour to 0.36, 0.42, 0.49, 0.57, 0.66, 0.77, 0.90, 1.04, 1.21, 1.41, and 1.63 g/min respectively; the rate remained constant afterwards. Glucose concentration in the medium was monitored and if the concentration exceeded 0.1 g/L the feed rate was decreased or stopped temporarily. Induction was initiated between OD_(550 nm)=56 and OD_(550 nm)=80 with addition of 16 mL IPTG (0.5 M) for the various strains. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was controlled at 25% of air saturation. The DO was controlled first by impeller agitation rate (400 to 1400 rpm) and later by aeration rate (2 to 10 slpm). The pH was controlled at 6.8. NH₄OH (29% w/w) and H₂SO₄ (20% w/v) were used for pH control. The head pressure was 0.5 bars. The cells were harvested by centrifugation 16 h post IPTG addition.

EXAMPLE 7 Preparation of Heat-Treated Cell Extracts of CE-7 Esterases/Perhydrolases

A cell extract of an E. coli transformant expressing perhydrolase from Thermotoga neapolitana (KLP18/pSW196) or Thermotoga maritima MSB8 (KLP18/pSW207) was prepared by passing a suspension of cell paste (20 wt % wet cell weight) in 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing dithiothreitol (1 mM) twice through a French press having a working pressure of 16,000 psi (˜110 MPa). The crude extract was then centrifuged at 20,000×g to remove cellular debris, producing a clarified cell extract that was assayed for total soluble protein (Bicinchoninic Acid Kit for Protein Determination, Sigma Aldrich catalog #BCA1-KT). The clarified Thermotoga maritima MSB8 or Thermotoga neapolitana perhydrolase-containing extract was heated for 20 min at 75° C., followed immediately by cooling in an ice/water bath to 5° C. The resulting mixture was centrifuged to remove precipitated protein, and the supernatant collected and assayed for total soluble protein as before. SDS-PAGE of the heat-treated supernatant indicated that the perhydrolase constituted at least ca. 90% of the total soluble protein present in the supernatant.

EXAMPLE 8 Temperature Stability of T. Neapolitana Perhydrolase/Trehalose Spray-Dried Enzyme Powders

A set of ten aqueous mixtures were prepared that contained varying concentrations of the heat-treated cell extract protein of E. coli KLP18/pSW196 (≧90% T. neapolitana perhydrolase by PAGE), trehalose (Cargill), and, optionally, polysorbate 80 (p80) as surfactant in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH=8.1) (Table 1). These solutions were spray-dried using a Buchi B-290 glass-chamber spray dryer (inlet temperature=170° C., exit temperature=90° C., feed rate=3 mL/min to 10 mL/min) to produce ten spray-dried enzyme powders; the weight percent protein in the powders was determined using the BCA (Bicinchoninic acid) protein assay, and the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of these powders were measured using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (Table 1).

TABLE 1 Composition of protein/excipient solutions used to produce T. neapolitana perhydrolase/trehalose spray-dried enzyme powders, and Tg of corresponding powders. wt % protein Tg of in protein/ protein/ protein/ protein/ excipient excipient trehalose protein excipient/ p80 excipient excipient powder solution (g/L) (g/L) protein (g/L) powder powder (° C.) S1-1 52.5 35 1.5 0.25 P1-2 39.2 42 S2-1 100 50 2.0 0 P2-2 32.5 48 S3-1 100 50 2.0 0.50 P3-2 33.2 40 S4-1 50 50 1.0 0 P4-2 45.1 40 S5-1 50 50 1.0 0.50 P5-2 46.7 54 S6-1 40 20 2.0 0 P6-2 31.4 44 S7-1 40 20 2.0 0.50 P7-2 32.5 45 S8-1 20 20 1.0 0 P8-2 47.8 38 S9-1 20 20 1.0 0.50 P9-2 46.6 58 S10-1  52.5 35 1.5 0.25 P10-2  37.8 21

The spray-dried enzyme powders were stored in sealed vials at 40° C. and sampled at one-week intervals, and the samples assayed for the concentration of peracetic acid produced in 5 minutes in reactions containing T. neapolitana perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL), H₂O₂ (100 mM), triacetin (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) at 25° C., and analyzed for production of peracetic acid using a modification of the analytical method reported by Karst et al. (below).

A sample (0.040 mL) of the reaction mixture was removed at a predetermined time (5 min) and immediately mixed with 0.960 mL of 5 mM phosphoric acid in water to terminate the reaction by adjusting the pH of the diluted sample to less than pH 4. The resulting solution was filtered using an ULTRAFREE® MC-filter unit (30,000 Normal Molecular Weight Limit (NMWL), Millipore Corp., Billerica, Mass., cat #UFC3LKT 00) by centrifugation for 2 min at 12,000 rpm. An aliquot (0.100 mL) of the resulting filtrate was transferred to a 1.5-mL screw cap HPLC vial (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, Calif.; #5182-0715) containing 0.300 mL of deionized water, then 0.100 mL of 20 mM MTS (methyl-p-tolyl sulfide) in acetonitrile was added, the vial capped, and the contents briefly mixed prior to a 10 min incubation at ca. 25° C. in the absence of light. To the vial was then added 0.400 mL of acetonitrile and 0.100 mL of a solution of triphenylphosphine (TPP, 40 mM) in acetonitrile, the vial re-capped, and the resulting solution mixed and incubated at ca. 25° C. for 30 min in the absence of light. To the vial was then added 0.100 mL of 10 mM N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET; HPLC external standard) and the resulting solution analyzed by HPLC for MTSO (methyl-p-tolyl sulfoxide), the stoichiometric oxidation product produced by reaction of MTS with peracetic acid. A control reaction was run in the absence of added extract protein or triacetin to determine the rate of oxidation of MTS in the assay mixture by hydrogen peroxide, for correction of the rate of peracetic acid production for background MTS oxidation. HPLC method: Supelco Discovery C8 column (10-cm×4.0-mm, 5 μm) (cat. #569422-U) with Supelco Supelguard Discovery C8 precolumn (Sigma-Aldrich; cat #59590-U); 10 microliter injection volume; gradient method with CH₃CN (Sigma-Aldrich; catalog #270717) and deionized water at 1.0 mL/min and ambient temperature.

TABLE 2 HPLC Gradient for analysis of peracetic acid. Time (min:sec) (% CH₃CN) 0:00 40 3:00 40 3:10 100 4:00 100 4:10 40 7:00 (stop) 40

The perhydrolytic activity of the T. neapolitana perhydrolase/trehalose spray-dried powder was stable over eight weeks of storage at 40° C. (Table 3).

TABLE 3 Temperature stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/trehalose spray- dried enzyme powders during storage at 40° C. PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. neapolitana perhydrolase/ trehalose spray-dried powder (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm). time at 40 PAA (ppm) in 5 minutes ° C. P1-2 P2-2 P3-2 P4-2 P5-2 P6-2 P7-2 P8-2 P9-2 P10-2 initial 1855 1983 2075 2025 1769 1891 1902 1777 1880 1945 week 1 1872 2019 2060 1785 1776 1887 2013 1903 2046 2204 week 2 1830 1899 1870 1771 1833 1930 1987 1933 2146 2222 week 3 1888 1974 1887 1973 1977 2223 2102 1924 2080 2104 week 4 1894 1878 2035 1881 1712 1918 1902 1793 1720 1988 week 5 1595 1744 1706 1565 1871 2052 1933 1783 1908 1985 week 6 1908 1760 1538 1545 1825 1864 1756 1675 1659 1758 week 7 1562 1797 1614 1487 1551 1774 1879 1927 1866 1957 week 8 1881 1959 1792 1753 1939 2123 1972 1907 1902 2095

EXAMPLE 9 Temperature Stability of T. Neapolitana Perhydrolase/Trehalose Spray-Dried Enzyme Powders in a Mixture of Enzyme Powder and Triacetin

The spray-dried enzyme powders prepared as described in Example 8 were evaluated for stability when stored for eight weeks at 40° C. as a mixture of the spray-dried powder in triacetin. Spray-dried enzyme powders were added to triacetin to produce a mixture containing 0.200 g of protein in 87.2 g of triacetin. The resulting mixtures were stored at 40° C., and a 2.19 g sample of the well-stirred mixture was assayed weekly at 25° C. in a 100-mL reaction containing 100 mM hydrogen peroxide and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm) in 50 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer at pH 7.2, where the resulting concentration of triacetin and protein was 100 mM and 50 μg/mL, respectively. Comparison of the data in Table 4 with the data in Example 8, Table 3, demonstrates the instability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/trehalose spray-dried enzyme powders when stored as a mixture with triacetin.

TABLE 4 Temperature stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/trehalose spray- dried enzyme powders during storage in a mixture of enzyme powder and triacetin at 40° C. PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. neapolitana perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm). time at 40 PAA (ppm) in 5 minutes ° C. P1-2 P2-2 P3-2 P4-2 P5-2 P6-2 P7-2 P8-2 P9-2 P10-2 initial 1650 1495 1539 1569 1666 1735 1552 1327 1712 1816 week 1 1214 1359 1597 1599 1589 1632 1515 1469 1421 1577 week 2 1303 1609 1580 1316 1293 1682 1353 971 1402 1483 week 3 1092 1573 1568 1233 1293 1245 1268 849 1324 1388 week 4 828 1563 1420 1226 1199 1608 1361 961 1172 1273 week 5 622 1340 1114 1294 1154 1663 1163 739 815 667 week 6 636 1301 990 970 895 1318 514 313 699 372 week 7 281 998 1140 841 798 962 259 188 831 521 week 8 254 569 659 563 567 483 414 323 494 321

EXAMPLE 10 Temperature Stability of T. Neapolitana Perhydrolase/Maltodextrin Spray-Dried Enzyme Powder

An aqueous mixture was prepared containing heat-treated cell extract protein of E. coli KLP18/pSW196 (34 g protein/L, ≧90% T. neapolitana perhydrolase by PAGE) and maltodextrin (66.7 g/L MALTRIN® M100 maltodextrin, 14.7 g/L MALTRIN® M250, 14.7 g/L MALTRIN® M040, Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, Iowa) as excipient in 50 mM sodium bicarbonate (pH 8.1). This solution was spray-dried using a spray dryer (GEA Niro, 3-ft diameter, inlet temperature=226° C., exit temperature=76° C., feed rate=60 g/min) to produce a spray-dried enzyme powder; the weight percent protein in the powder (20.3 wt %) was determined using the BCA (Bicinchoninic acid) protein assay, and the glass transition temperature of this powder (Tg=54° C.) was measured using modulated differential scanning calorimetry. This solution was spray-dried to produce a powder that was then tested for stability during storage at 40° C. for 9 weeks. The spray-dried enzyme powder (stored at 40° C.) was sampled at one-week intervals and assayed for activity using 50 μg protein/mL of T. neapolitana perhydrolase, H₂O₂ (100 mM), triacetin (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm) in 50 mM bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.2) at 25° C., and analyzed for production of peracetic acid using a modification of the analytical method reported by Karst et al., supra. The perhydrolytic activity of the T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried powder was stable over eight weeks of storage at 40° C. (Table 5).

TABLE 5 Temperature stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powder during storage at 40° C. time PAA (ppm) at 40° C. in 5 min initial 1142 week 1 1117 week 2 1135 week 3 1087 week 4 964 week 5 1153 week 6 930 week 7 1025 week 8 964 PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. neapolitana perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm).

EXAMPLE 11 Temperature Stability of T. Neapolitana Perhydrolase/Maltodextrin Spray-Dried Enzyme Powder Stored in a Mixture of Enzyme Powder and Triacetin

The spray-dried enzyme powder prepared as described in Example 10 was evaluated for stability when stored for twenty-one weeks at 40° C. as a mixture of the spray-dried powder in triacetin. The spray-dried enzyme powder (1.235 g, 20.3 wt % protein) was added to 109 g of triacetin. The resulting mixture was stored at 40° C., and a 2.19 g sample of the well-stirred mixture assayed in duplicate at 25° C. in a 100-mL reaction containing hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm) in 50 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer at pH 7.2, where the resulting concentration of triacetin and protein was 100 mM and 50 μg/mL, respectively. Comparison of the data in Table 6 with the data in Example 10, Table 5, demonstrates the stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powders when stored as a mixture with triacetin.

TABLE 6 Temperature stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powder during storage in a mixture of enzyme powder and triacetin at 40° C. time PAA (ppm) in 5 min at 40° C. duplicate A duplicate B Average initial 1010 1019 1015 week 1 983 1054 1019 week 2 897 927 912 week 3 1194 1137 1166 week 4 1139 1088 1114 week 5 1099 1069 1084 week 6 1098 978 1038 week 7 1018 1006 1012 week 8 907 892 900 week 12 925 936 931 week 18 824 ND week 21 792 ND PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. neapolitana perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm). ND = a duplicate assay was not done

EXAMPLE 12 Temperature Stability of T. Neapolitana Perhydrolase/Maltodextrin Spray-Dried Enzyme Powder Stored in a Mixture of Enzyme Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate and Triacetin

The spray-dried enzyme powder prepared as described in Example 10 was evaluated for stability when stored for 21 weeks at 40° C. as a mixture of the spray-dried powder in a mixture of triacetin and sodium bicarbonate. The spray-dried enzyme powder (0.988 g, 20.3 wt % protein) was added to a mixture of 87.2 g of triacetin and 16.8 g of sodium bicarbonate (Grade 3DF (powder), Church & Dwight). The resulting mixture was stored at 40° C., and a 2.62 g sample of the well-stirred mixture was assayed in duplicate at 25° C. in a 100-mL reaction containing hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm), where the resulting concentrations of triacetin, sodium bicarbonate and protein were 100 mM, 50 mM (pH 7.2) and 50 μg/mL, respectively. Comparison of the data in Table 7 with the data in Example 11, Table 6, demonstrates the stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powders when stored for twenty-one weeks at 40° C. as a mixture with triacetin and solid sodium bicarbonate is improved when compared to the stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powders when stored for twenty-one weeks at 40° C. as a mixture with triacetin alone. At the longer storage times, e.g. 21 weeks, the perhydrolase still retains ca. 100% of initial activity in a mixture of triacetin and sodium bicarbonate.

TABLE 7 Temperature stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powder during storage in a mixture of enzyme powder, sodium bicarbonate and triacetin at 40° C. time PAA (ppm) in 5 min at 40° C. duplicate A duplicate B average initial 950 1032 991 week 1 1060 1096 1078 week 2 1114 1114 1114 week 4 1044 974 1009 week 8 1085 1046 1066 week 12 1101 1122 1112 week 17 1013 ND week 21 1162 ND PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. neapolitana perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm). ND = a duplicate assay was not done

EXAMPLE 13 Temperature Stability of T. Maritima Perhydrolase/Maltodextrin Spray-Dried Enzyme Powder

An aqueous mixture was prepared containing heat-treated cell extract protein of E. coli KLP18/pSW207 (21 g protein/L, ≧90% T. maritima perhydrolase by PAGE) and maltodextrin (31 g/L maltodextrin DE 13-17 and 31 g/L maltodextrin DE 4-7, Aldrich) as excipient in 50 mM sodium bicarbonate (pH 8.1). This solution was spray-dried using a Buchi B-290 glass-chamber spray dryer (inlet temperature=170° C., exit temperature=90° C., feed rate=4.5 mL/min) to produce a spray-dried enzyme powder; the weight percent protein in the powder (18.0 wt %) was determined using the BCA (Bicinchoninic acid) protein assay, and the glass transition temperature of this powder (Tg=90° C.) was measured using modulated differential scanning calorimetry. This solution was spray-dried to produce a powder that was then tested for stability during storage at 40° C. for 7 weeks. The spray-dried enzyme powder (stored at 40° C.) was sampled at one-week intervals and assayed for activity using 50 μg protein/mL of T. maritima perhydrolase, H₂O₂ (H₂O₂ (100 mM)), triacetin (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm) in 50 mM bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.2) at 25° C., and analyzed for production of peracetic acid using a modification of the analytical method reported by Karst et al., supra. The perhydrolytic activity of the T. maritima perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried powder was stable over seven weeks of storage at 40° C. (Table 8).

TABLE 8 Temperature stability of T. maritima perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powder during storage at 40° C. time PAA (ppm) at 40° C. in 5 min initial 1373 week 1 1262 week 2 1548 week 3 1317 week 4 1316 week 5 1378 week 6 1296 week 7 1475 PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. maritima perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm).

EXAMPLE 14 Temperature Stability of T. Maritima Perhydrolase/Maltodextrin Spray-Dried Enzyme Powder Stored in a Mixture of Enzyme Powder and Triacetin

The spray-dried enzyme powder prepared as described in Example 13 was evaluated for stability when stored for seven weeks at 40° C. as a mixture of the spray-dried powder in triacetin. The spray-dried enzyme powder (0.556 g, 18.0 wt % protein) was added to 43.6 g of triacetin. The resulting mixture was stored at 40° C., and a 2.21 g sample of the well-stirred mixture assayed in duplicate at 25° C. in a 100-mL reaction containing hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm) in 50 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer at pH 7.2, where the resulting concentration of triacetin and protein was 100 mM and 50 μg/mL, respectively. Comparison of the data in Table 9 with the data in Example 13, Table 8, demonstrates the stability of T. maritima perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powders when stored as a mixture with triacetin.

TABLE 9 Temperature stability of T. maritima perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powder during storage in a mixture of enzyme powder and triacetin at 40° C. time PAA (ppm) at 40° C. in 5 min initial 1137 week 1 1089 week 2 1138 week 3 1213 week 4 1130 week 5 872 week 6 858 week 7 1004 PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. maritima perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm).

EXAMPLE 15 Temperature Stability of T. Maritima Perhydrolase/Maltodextrin Spray-Dried Enzyme Powder Stored in a Mixture of Enzyme Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate and Triacetin

The spray-dried enzyme powder prepared as described in Example 13 was evaluated for stability when stored for seven weeks at 40° C. as a mixture of the spray-dried powder in a mixture of triacetin and sodium bicarbonate. The spray-dried enzyme powder (0.556 g, 18.0 wt % protein) was added to 43.6 g of triacetin and 8.4 g of sodium bicarbonate (Grade 3DF (powder), Church & Dwight). The resulting mixture was stored at 40° C., and a 2.63 g sample of the well-stirred mixture assayed in duplicate at 25° C. in a 100-mL reaction containing hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and TURPINAL® SL (500 ppm), where the resulting concentrations of triacetin, sodium bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.2) and protein were 100 mM, 50 mM and 50 μg/mL, respectively. Comparison of the data in Table 10 with the data in Example 14, Table 9, demonstrates the improved stability of T. maritima perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powders when stored for five, six and seven weeks at 40° C. as a mixture with triacetin and solid sodium bicarbonate when compared to the stability of T. neapolitana perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powders when stored for five, six and seven weeks at 40° C. as a mixture with triacetin alone.

TABLE 10 Temperature stability of T. maritima perhydrolase/maltodextrin spray-dried enzyme powder during storage in a mixture of enzyme powder, sodium bicarbonate and triacetin at 40° C. time PAA (ppm) at 40° C. in 5 min initial 1153 week 1 1138 week 2 1343 week 3 1242 week 4 1111 week 5 1149 week 6 1184 week 7 1109 PAA (ppm) produced in 5 min at 25° C. by reaction of triacetin (100 mM) and H₂O₂ (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.2) containing T. maritima perhydrolase (50 μg protein/mL) and TURPINAL ® SL (500 ppm).

EXAMPLE 16 Perhydrolysis of Propylene Glycol Diacetate or Ethylene Glycol Diacetate Using Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954™ Perhydrolase

A homogenate of a transformant expressing wild-type perhydrolase from Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954™ (KLP18/pSW194) was prepared from a suspension of cell paste (20 wt % wet cell weight) in 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing dithiothreitol (1 mM). The crude homogenate was centrifuged to remove cellular debris, producing a clarified cell extract that was heat-treated at 65° C. for 30 min. The resulting mixture was centrifuged, and the heat-treated supernatant concentrated on a 30K MWCO (molecular weight cutoff) membrane to a concentration of 32 mg/mL total dissolved solids; a SDS-PAGE of the clarified, heat-treated cell extract indicated that the perhydrolase was at least 85-90% pure. To this concentrate was then added 2.06 grams of NaH₂PO₄ and 1.17 grams Na₂HPO₄ per gram of solids was added to this concentrate to produce an approximate 3:1 ratio (wt/wt) of phosphate buffer to heat-treated cell extract protein. This solution was diluted by 30 wt % with deionized water, then spray-dried (180° C. inlet temperature, 70° C. exit temperature) using a Buchi B-290 laboratory spray dryer); the resulting spray-dried powder contained 25.5 wt % protein (Bradford protein assay) and was 94.3 wt % dry solids.

Reactions (10 mL total volume) were run at 23° C. in 50 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer (initial pH 7.2) containing propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA) or ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA), hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and 123 μg/mL of a heat-treated extract protein from the spray-dried E. coli KLP18/pSW194 (expressing Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 31954TH wild-type perhydrolase) (prepared as described above). A control reaction for each reaction condition was run to determine the concentration of peracetic acid produced by chemical perhydrolysis of triacetin by hydrogen peroxide in the absence of added heat-treated extract protein. The reactions were sampled at 1, 5, and 30 minutes and the samples analyzed for peracetic acid using the Karst derivatization protocol (Karst et al., supra); aliquots (0.040 mL) of the reaction mixture were removed and mixed with 0.960 mL of 5 mM phosphoric acid in water; adjustment of the pH of the diluted sample to less than pH 4 immediately terminated the reaction. The resulting solution was filtered using an ULTRAFREE® MC-filter unit (30,000 Normal Molecular Weight Limit (NMWL), Millipore cat #UFC3LKT 00) by centrifugation for 2 min at 12,000 rpm. An aliquot (0.100 mL) of the resulting filtrate was transferred to 1.5-mL screw cap HPLC vial (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, Calif.; #5182-0715) containing 0.300 mL of deionized water, then 0.100 mL of 20 mM MTS (methyl-p-tolyl-sulfide) in acetonitrile was added, the vials capped, and the contents briefly mixed prior to a 10 min incubation at ca. 25° C. in the absence of light. To each vial was then added 0.400 mL of acetonitrile and 0.100 mL of a solution of triphenylphosphine (TPP, 40 mM) in acetonitrile, the vials re-capped, and the resulting solution mixed and incubated at ca. 25° C. for 30 min in the absence of light. To each vial was then added 0.100 mL of 10 mM N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET; HPLC external standard) and the resulting solution analyzed by HPLC. The peracetic acid concentrations produced in 1 min, 5 min and 30 min are listed in Table 11.

TABLE 11 Peracetic acid (PAA) concentration produced in reactions utilizing propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA) or ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA) and hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) in sodium bicarbonate buffer (50 mM, initial pH 7.2) at 23° C. using 123 μg/mL of heat- treated extract protein from E. coli KLP18/pSW194 (Bacillus subtilis ATCC ® 31954 ™ perhydrolase). PAA, PAA, PAA, perhydrolase substrate 1 min 5 min 30 min (50 μg/mL) (100 mM) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) no enzyme (control) PGDA 0 64 241 B. subtilis ATCC ® 31954 PGDA 666 781 815 no enzyme (control) EGDA 0 18 141 B. subtilis ATCC ® 31954 EGDA 747 931 963

EXAMPLE 17 Perhydrolysis of Propylene Glycol Diacetate or Ethylene Glycol Diacetate Using T. Maritima and T. Neapolitana Wild-Type and Variant Perhydrolases

Cell extracts of transformants expressing Thermotoga neapolitana wild-type perhydrolase (KLP18/pSW196), Thermotoga neapolitana C277S variant perhydrolase (KLP18/pSW1961C277S), Thermotoga neapolitana C277T variant perhydrolase (KLP18/pSW196/C277T), Thermotoga maritima wild-type perhydrolase (KLP18/pSW228), Thermotoga maritima C277S variant perhydrolase (KLP18/pSW228/C277S), and Thermotoga maritima C277T variant perhydrolase (KLP18/pSW228/C277T) were each prepared by passing a suspension of cell paste (20 wt % wet cell weight) in 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing dithiothreitol (1 mM) twice through a French press having a working pressure of 16,000 psi (˜110 MPa). The lysed cells were centrifuged for 30 minutes at 12,000×g, producing a clarified cell extract that was assayed for total soluble protein (Bradford assay). The supernatant was heated at 75° C. for 20 minutes, followed by quenching in an ice bath for 2 minutes. Precipitated protein was removed by centrifugation for 10 minutes at 11,000×g. SDS-PAGE of the resulting heat-treated extract protein supernatant indicated that the CE-7 enzyme comprised approximately 85-90% of the total protein in the preparation. The heat-treated extract protein supernatant was frozen in dry ice and stored at −80° C. until use.

A first set of reactions (10 mL total volume) were run at 20° C. in 10 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer (initial pH 8.1) containing propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA) or ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA) (100 mM), hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and 25 μg/mL of heat-treated extract protein from one of E. coli KLP18/pSW196 (Thermotoga neapolitana wild-type perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW196/C277S (Thermotoga neapolitana C277S variant perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW196/C277T (Thermotoga neapolitana C277T variant perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW228 (Thermotoga maritima wild-type perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW228/C277S (Thermotoga maritima C277S variant perhydrolase), and E. coli KLP18/pSW228/C277T (Thermotoga maritima C277T variant perhydrolase) (prepared as described above). A control reaction for each reaction condition was run to determine the concentration of peracetic acid produced by chemical perhydrolysis of triacetin by hydrogen peroxide in the absence of added extract protein. The reactions were sampled at 1, 5, and 30 minutes and the samples analyzed for peracetic acid using the Karst derivatization protocol (Karst et al., supra) and HPLC analytical method (supra). The peracetic acid concentrations produced in 1 min, 5 min and 30 min are listed in Table 12.

TABLE 12 Peracetic acid (PAA) concentration produced utilizing T. maritima and T. neapolitana wild-type and variant perhydrolases in reactions at 20° C. in sodium bicarbonate buffer (10 mM, initial pH 8.1) containing propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA) (100 mM) or ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA) (100 mM), hydrogen peroxide (100 mM) and 25 μg/mL of heat-treated extract protein. substrate PAA, PAA, PAA, conc. H₂O₂ 1 min 5 min 30 min perhydrolase substrate (mM) (mM) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) no enzyme (control) PGDA 100 100 0 15 165 T. maritima WT PGDA 100 100 534 1104 1695 T. maritima C277S PGDA 100 100 647 1320 1864 T. maritima C277T PGDA 100 100 656 1174 1418 T. neapolitana WT PGDA 100 100 513 1052 1946 T. neapolitana C277S PGDA 100 100 875 1327 1707 T. neapolitana C277T PGDA 100 100 724 1325 1864 no enzyme (control) EGDA 100 100 0 70 229 T. maritima WT EGDA 100 100 765 1182 1595 T. maritima C277S EGDA 100 100 725 1240 1724 T. maritima C277T EGDA 100 100 802 1218 1734 T. neapolitana WT EGDA 100 100 603 1132 1643 T. neapolitana C277S EGDA 100 100 680 1305 1698 T. neapolitana C277T EGDA 100 100 688 1164 1261

A second set of reactions (10 mL total volume) were run at 20° C. in 10 mM sodium bicarbonate buffer (initial pH 8.1) containing propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA) or ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA) (2 mM), hydrogen peroxide (10 mM) and 10 μg/mL of heat-treated extract protein from one of E. coli KLP18/pSW196 (Thermotoga neapolitana wild-type perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW196/C277S (Thermotoga neapolitana C277S variant perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW196/C277T (Thermotoga neapolitana C277T variant perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW228 (Thermotoga maritima wild-type perhydrolase), E. coli KLP18/pSW228/C277S (Thermotoga maritima C277S variant perhydrolase), and E. coli KLP18/pSW228/C277T (Thermotoga maritima C277T variant perhydrolase) (prepared as described above). A control reaction for each reaction condition was run to determine the concentration of peracetic acid produced by chemical perhydrolysis of triacetin by hydrogen peroxide in the absence of added extract protein. The reactions were sampled at 5 minutes and the samples analyzed for peracetic acid using the Karst derivatization protocol (Karst et al., supra) and HPLC analytical method (supra). The peracetic acid concentrations produced in 5 min are listed in Table 13.

TABLE 13 Peracetic acid (PAA) concentration produced utilizing T. maritima and T. neapolitana wild-type and variant perhydrolases in reactions at 20° C. in sodium bicarbonate buffer (10 mM, initial pH 8.1) containing propylene glycol diacetate (PGDA) (2 mM) or ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA) (2 mM), hydrogen peroxide (10 mM) and 10 μg/mL of heat-treated extract protein. substrate PAA, conc. H₂O₂ 5 min perhydrolase substrate (mM) (mM) (ppm) no enzyme (control) PGDA 2 10 3.6 T. maritima WT PGDA 2 10 5.0 T. maritima C277S PGDA 2 10 7.2 T. maritima C277T PGDA 2 10 7.9 T. neapolitana WT PGDA 2 10 5.7 T. neapolitana C277S PGDA 2 10 7.9 T. neapolitana C277T PGDA 2 10 3.9 no enzyme (control) EGDA 2 10 3.3 T. maritima WT EGDA 2 10 9.9 T. maritima C277S EGDA 2 10 13.6 T. maritima C277T EGDA 2 10 22.9 T. neapolitana WT EGDA 2 10 6.6 T. neapolitana C277S EGDA 2 10 18.4 T. neapolitana C277T EGDA 2 10 20.2 

What is claimed is:
 1. A process to disinfect a hard surface or inanimate object using an enzymatically-produced peroxycarboxylic acid composition, said process comprising: (a) providing a set of reaction components, said components comprising: (1) a formulation comprising a mixture of: (I) at least one carboxylic acid ester selected from the group consisting of monoacetin, diacetin, triacetin, monopropionin, dipropionin, tripropionin, monobutyrin, dibutyrin, tributyrin, and mixtures thereof; (II) an enzyme powder comprising (i) at least one enzyme structurally classified as a CE-7 enzyme and having perhydrolysis activity and a signature motif comprising:  (A) an RGQ motif at amino acid residues 118-120,  (B) a GXSQG motif at amino acid residues 179-183, and  (C) an HE motif at amino acid residues 298-299 when aligned to reference sequence SEQ ID NO:1 using CLUSTALW, (ii) at least one excipient, and (iii) optionally at least one surfactant; and (III) at least one buffer; wherein said at least one buffer enhances the stability of said at least one enzyme when present in said formulation as compared to the perhydrolase activity of said at least one enzyme when the at least one excipient is not present; and (2) a source of peroxygen in water; (b) combining said reaction components whereby a peroxycarboxylic acid product is produced; (c) optionally diluting said peroxycarboxylic acid product; and (d) contacting said hard surface or inanimate object with the peroxycarboxylic acid produced in step (b) or step (c) whereby said surface or said inanimate object is disinfected.
 2. The process of claim 1, wherein: (a) the at least one enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:19 and SEQ ID NO:20, wherein amino acid residue 277 of SEQ ID NO: 19 or SEQ ID NO: 20 is selected from the group consisting of alanine, valine, serine, and threonine; (b) the at least one excipient is maltodextrin; (c) the at least one buffer is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and a mixture of sodium phosphate and potassium phosphate; (d) the at least one carboxylic acid ester is triacetin; and (e) the peroxycarboxylic acid produced is peracetic acid.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one excipient ranges from about 95 wt % to about 25 wt % of the enzyme powder.
 4. The process of claim 3, wherein the at least one excipient is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, trehalose, xylan, mannan, fucoidan, galactomannan, chitosan, raffinose, stachyose, pectin, inulin, levan, graminan, amylopectin, and mixtures thereof.
 5. The process of claim 4, wherein the at least one excipient is maltodextrin.
 6. The process of claim 4, wherein the at least one excipient is trehalose.
 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the carboxylic acid ester is triacetin.
 8. The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one surfactant is present and is polysorbate
 80. 9. The process of claim 3, wherein the at least one excipient is an oligosaccharide excipient having a number average molecular weight of at least about 1250 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about
 9000. 10. The process of claim 9, wherein the oligosaccharide excipient has a number average molecular weight of at least about 1700 and a weight average molecular weight of at least about
 15000. 11. The process of claim 1, wherein the formulation is substantially free of water.
 12. The process of claim 11, wherein the at least one buffer is sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, or a mixture of sodium phosphate and potassium phosphate.
 13. The process of claim 12, wherein the at least one buffer has a buffering capacity in a pH range of from about 5.5 to about 9.5.
 14. The process of claim 12, wherein: (a) the at least one enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:19, and SEQ ID NO:20, wherein amino acid residue 277 of SEQ ID NO: 19 or SEQ ID NO: 20 is selected from the group consisting of alanine, valine, serine, and threonine, and (b) the carboxylic acid ester is selected from the group consisting of diacetin, triacetin, and mixtures thereof.
 15. The process of claim 14, wherein said at least one excipient is maltodextrin.
 16. The process of claim 12, wherein: (a) the at least one enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7; (b) the at least one excipient is maltodextrin; (c) the at least one buffer is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof; and (d) said carboxylic acid ester is triacetin.
 17. The process of claim 16, wherein the at least one buffer is sodium bicarbonate. 